Energy islands of Denmark

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The government of Denmark is planning to establish two large-scale offshore wind farm projects or "energy islands", in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea respectively, by the year 2030. In the North Sea, an artificial island will be constructed with the capacity to serve as a hub for up to 3 GW of offshore wind farms initially, and potentially up to 10 GW in the future. The artificial island may take the form of a sand island, steel platforms, or a large container lowered into place and filled with stone material, and would be located approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Jutland, at a water depth of 26–27 metres (85–89 ft). In the Baltic Sea, a hub will be built on the natural island of Bornholm that will be able to serve up to 2 GW of offshore wind farms.[1][2]

The project will be the largest construction project in Denmark's history and will increase the country's total offshore wind energy capacity fourfold if the initial phase is completed or sevenfold if fully expanded.[1][3][4]

Background[]

In June 2016, Dutch electrical grid operator TenneT first presented its vision for the construction of a large European electricity system in the North Sea, based on a "hub and spoke" architecture, with international submarine power cables to participating countries forming the spokes, and a centrally built artificial island connected to large offshore wind farms forming the hub.[5] In February 2017, a study commissioned by TenneT reported that as much as 110 GW of wind energy generating capacity could ultimately be developed at Dogger Bank in the North Sea.[6]

At the North Seas Energy Forum in Brussels on 23 March 2017, TenneT Netherlands, TenneT Germany, and the Danish grid operator Energinet signed a trilateral agreement to cooperate in the further development of one or more "power link islands" in the North Sea under the auspices of the North Sea Wind Power Hub consortium.[7][8] In February 2019, the consortium published two reports establishing a foundation for their planning: a spatial planning report and a cost evaluation report.[9][10]

In June 2019, after the 2019 Danish general election, a new governing coalition was formed in Denmark on the basis of an agreement between the Social Democrats, the Social Liberal Party, the Socialist People's Party, and the Red–Green Alliance. As part of the coalition agreement, the new government committed to pursue the establishment of an offshore energy island with a minimum capacity of 10 GW by the year 2030.[11]

On 22 June 2020, a broad majority of the Danish Parliament, including the government coalition parties and opposition parties Venstre, Danish People's Party, The Conservative People's Party, Liberal Alliance and The Alternative, collectively representing 171 out of the 179 members of the parliament, agreed to begin the establishment of two energy island hubs with a total capacity of 5 GW, scheduled for completion by 2030: one on the island of Bornholm with a capacity of 2 GW, and one in the North Sea with a capacity of 3 GW.[12][3][2]

North Sea[]

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Area designated for preliminary studies for placement of the energy island in the North Sea.

On 3 March 2017, TenneT Netherlands, TenneT Germany and Energinet signed an agreement for the development of a large-scale, trans-European system for renewable energy in the North Sea with the potential to supply as many as 100 million European citizens with renewable energy by the year 2050. According to the three companies, establishing an artificial power link island at a location such as Dogger Bank would hold many advantages: The site offers wind conditions and shallow water depths optimal for the operation of offshore wind turbines. A power link island would enable near-shore connections and thus reduce costs at the otherwise far offshore location holding a potential for as much as 100 GW of wind energy generation. It would be possible to distribute the generated wind energy via direct current cable connections to all countries bordering the North Sea: the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Belgium. And finally, these same cables could also serve as interconnectors between the energy markets of the involved countries, allowing the countries to buy and sell electricity through them.[13]

According to the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, the potential size of a project so far out at sea would make it possible to produce green energy at a previously unseen scale. This could help balance the variability of supply that the connected countries might otherwise experience from their own sources of renewable energy. The electricity from the island could also potentially be converted to electrofuels via Power-to-X technologies for use in industries that cannot use electricity from renewables directly yet.[4][14] An analysis conducted by the ministry found that an island with 10 GW of power generation capacity would be able to produce enough renewable fuel to fully supply all ships and airplanes that refuel in Denmark.[15]

Political agreement[]

On 4 February 2021, the Danish Parliament reached a deal on the basic framework for the construction of an energy island in the North Sea.[1][16][17] The project will be the largest construction project in Denmark's history with an estimated total cost of kr. 210 billion, equivalent to about five times the cost of the Great Belt Fixed Link. Initially, the island will have a capacity for 3 GW of wind power, enough to power about 3 million European households. In the longer term, it will be possible to expand the island to a capacity of 10 GW, corresponding to the power needs of about 10 million households. The facility will be designated as critical infrastructure and the state will be required to retain a majority stake in its ownership, while one or more private investors must hold a minority stake. The electrical transmission system between the island and adjacent countries will be constructed and owned by Energinet and relevant international partners.[4][14]

The island is to be designed so it is possible to install facilities both for storing energy received on the island and for converting it into fuel products for use in shipping, aviation, industry and heavy-duty vehicles. With the initial capacity, it is expected the island will have a total area of at least 120,000 square metres (1,300,000 sq ft), equivalent to the area of about 18 standard football pitches. If expanded to the full 10 GW of capacity, the island is expected to reach a total area of 460,000 square metres (5,000,000 sq ft), equivalent to about 64 football pitches. Depending on the outcome of the procurement, in the initial phase, the surrounding wind farm could consist of as many as 200 very large wind turbines, each with an expected height of over 260 metres (850 ft). If expanded to full capacity, the number of wind turbines could increase to a total of 650.[4][14]

On 1 July 2021, the Danish Energy Agency submitted a proposal for a law on the design and construction of the energy island in the North Sea on the basis of the political agreement to public consultation.[18] The state will maintain a majority ownership.[19]

Preliminary studies[]

On 21 November 2020, Danish parliamentarians agreed to initiate preparatory investigations in a wide area of consideration in the North Sea for the location of a power link island and 3 GW of connected offshore wind farms. The installations would be located at least 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Thorsminde on Denmark’s west coast.[20][21] On 4 February 2021, the parliamentarians agreed to narrow the area to a location approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the coast.[22][23]

In April 2021, Energinet awarded the companies Fugro and MMT assignments to conduct geophysical surveys of the seabed in the area of consideration to a depth of 100 metres below the sea floor.[24][25] The first survey ship began work on 3 May 2021.[26][27] The work is expected to be completed by September 2022.[25]

On 7 June 2021, the company Intertek announced that it had been commissioned by Energinet to undertake constraints analysis, consenting advice, and cable route and landfall assessments for the energy island in the North Sea.[28][29]

On 11 August 2021, Energinet announced that it had awarded the company Niras an assignment to conduct environmental studies of the area of consideration for the North Sea energy island until 2024.[30][31]

Procurement[]

In March through April 2021, the Danish Energy Agency conducted a market dialogue with relevant commercial operators about the procurement framework for the artificial island in the North Sea. A second market dialogue is expected to be held later in the year after a specific framework has been formulated.[32]

In June 2021, the Danish Energy Agency awarded Sweco Danmark a four-year contract to provide technical advice and assistance in preparation of the tender for the island, including with regards to the determination of requirements related to the island's layout, port, infrastructure, and auxiliary systems, as well as to foundation conditions, geotechnics, structures and execution of marine projects, such as construction work in the open sea.[33][34] Sweco has been involved in other public construction projects in Denmark previously, including in the establishment of the artificial island Peberholm in the strait of Øresund.[34]

So far the following parties have expressed interest in bidding on the upcoming tender:

  • On 20 May 2020, the VindØ consortium announced that it was planning a bid for the construction and operation of the North Sea energy island. The consortium consists of the Danish pension funds PensionDanmark and PFA Pension, regional grid operator Andel, and financial services firm Nykredit. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is also affiliated.[35][36][37] The consortium has commissioned Ramboll to provide high-level support for the project. Ramboll will study the possibilities for establishing large-scale Power-to-X facilities on the island for converting power to products such as hydrogen and ammonia for use in industry and shipping as well as facilities for local energy storage such as batteries. Because the industrial processes on the island are expected to generate significant amounts of heat, possibly enough to supply entire cities, options for utilizing this by-product are also being examined. Ramboll will also study the feasibility of running a data center on the island, given the availability of green energy at the location and the island's potential proximity to international data cables in the North Sea, as well as the options for the island's port, which could potentially be offered for use to third parties such as fishing vessels, maritime authorities etc. Finally, the company will look at the possibilities for accommodation and recreational areas for the island's inhabitants.[38][39]
  • On 22 April 2021, Danish energy company Ørsted and the pension fund ATP announced that they were planning a bid for the construction and operation of the North Sea energy island. The companies have said they will study the optimal integration of Power-to-X on the island.[40][41]

International partnerships[]

Since December 2020, the governments of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg have all entered agreements with the government of Denmark to increase cooperation with respect to the expansion of offshore wind energy, including potentially the energy island in the North Sea.[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]

On 12 February 2021, Belgian transmission system operator Elia and Energinet announced that they had signed an agreement to assess the feasibility of a hybrid interconnector between Belgium and Denmark via the North Sea island by the end of 2021.[51][52][53]

Baltic Sea[]

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Area designated for preliminary studies for placement of the energy island in the Baltic Sea.

On 24 November 2019, the Danish energy company Ørsted proposed making the natural island Bornholm in the Baltic Sea the center point of an already envisioned electricity interconnection between Poland and Denmark, and gradually building out up to 3–5 GW of offshore wind capacity on the sandbank Rønne Banke off the coast of the island, thus forming an energy hub as proposed by the North Sea Wind Power Hub consortium in the Baltic Sea, albeit on a natural island rather than an artificial one. In addition to Poland, the hub could also eventually be connected to Germany and Sweden.[54][55][56]

On 21 November 2020, Danish parliamentarians chose two areas in the Baltic Sea, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south and southwest, respectively, off the island of Bornholm, for the development of 2 GW of offshore wind farms for the project.[20][21]

On 14 December 2020, the governments of Germany and Denmark entered an agreement to work closer together on the expansion of offshore wind energy, including potentially the energy island in the Baltic Sea.[44][45][46]

On 21 January 2021, German transmission system operator 50Hertz and Energinet announced that they had signed an agreement to assess the feasibility of a hybrid interconnector between Germany and Denmark via the Baltic Sea island by the end of 2021.[57][58][59]

In April 2021, Energinet hired Ramboll to map possible routes and landing locations for submerged power cables between the Baltic Sea energy island and adjacent countries.[60][61]

On 11 August 2021, Energinet announced that it had awarded Ramboll an assignment to conduct environmental studies of the area of consideration for the Baltic Sea energy island until 2024.[30][31]

See also[]

References[]

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