As part of the green transition, the establishment of solar parks is expected to increase significantly in Sweden. BeGreen is one of Scandinavia’s most experienced developers of large-scale ground-based solar parks. Thomas Jörgensen, CEO of BeGreen Sweden AB, tells us more about the company and the journey that now awaits the Swedish market.
Can you tell us more about what kind of company BeGreen is?
“We are a Swedish solar park developer with roots in Denmark, where we were founded as part of the forestry and agricultural company Bregentved Group in 2013. BeGreen was transformed into an independent limited company in 2017 and at the end of 2022 BeGreen was acquired by Equinor and we are today a wholly owned subsidiary of the Norwegian energy company. This means that we still have a strong entrepreneurial spirit in our corporate culture, at the same time as we have a large, solid owner behind us, that enables us to continue to be active owners in the solar parks and take responsibility for everything from development, operation and management, throughout the entire life of the solar parks.
What are your goals?
“Our goal is of course continuous development, not least in Sweden where we are in an intensive establishment phase. BeGreen’s ambition is to develop about 1 GWp per year, which is based on the projects in the pipeline for Sweden, Denmark and Poland. BeGreen’s vision is to play a crucial role in the green transition”.
How do you see the future of the solar energy sector in Sweden?
“The industry for solar energy in Sweden is growing rapidly. The network for solar parks, which we are active in, has in its latest report been able to show that there are applications in the County Administrative Boards for solar parks that could generate electricity equivalent to the production of a nuclear reactor – if all solar parks waiting for authorisation were to be approved”. (The Solar Park Network is an association of 16 Swedish companies).
“Things are also starting to happen politically in Sweden, with several parties putting forward specific strategies for solar energy and we hope for an overall national strategy. At BeGreen we are ready to help Sweden to make a green transition and produce more renewable energy. We are absolutely convinced that Sweden, like Denmark, will get started with large-scale solar electricity production in the near future. We need to continue to work with the industry and with relevant politicians and other decision-makers to find common ways forward”.
Why did you choose to work for BeGreen?
“I have worked in the energy industry before and it is, not least in the current situation, an extremely interesting industry to be active in. For me, it feels meaningful to contribute to Sweden making significant progress in the green transition and to achieving a better balance in the Swedish electricity system. I think we need to become more self-sufficient in terms of electricity production.
What is it like to work at BeGreen?
“We have an inclusive and embracing relationship with our employees, we use all modern technology to create flexibility at our workplaces. And because we are a company in a growth phase, every employee contributes to creating the company we want to be. There are great opportunities to be involved and influence both the company’s development and the Swedish energy system!”