Swedish utility companies and power generators have already installed so many wind turbines that the Nordic nation is on course to reach its 2030 renewable energy target by December

Sweden is on track to meet its 2030 renewable energy target late this year, 12 years ahead of schedule, a new report indicates.

By December, Sweden is set to have 3,681 wind turbines installed, according to the Swedish Wind Energy Association. This looks to be more than enough capacity to meet a target to add 18 terawatt-hours of new renewable energy output by the end of next decade. Some new plants will be built by Norway: Sweden share a renewable certificates market with its neighbour.

Most of the new capacity will be on land. A total of 2,609MW of on-shore wind capacity will be added in 2018 and 2019, according to the latest forecast from the group. This compares with 970MW for the same period a year earlier.

Image: a lake in Värmdö, Sweden, photographed by Anders Jildén