Denmark approves plan to build offshore wind hub on energy island

Danish climate minister Dan Jørgensen said, “This is truly a great moment for Denmark and for the global green transition.

“This decision marks the start of a new era of sustainable energy production in Denmark, and the world as a whole, and it links very ambitious climate goals with growth and green jobs.

“The energy hub in the North Sea will be the largest construction project in Danish history. It will make a big contribution to the realisation of the enormous potential for European offshore wind.”

The energy hub will serve as an offshore power plant gathering and distributing green electricity from hundreds of wind turbines to consumers in countries in the North Sea.

The island is expected to have a total area of in excess of 120,000 km². In its first phase, it will be able to provide 3M European households with green energy.

“We are at the dawn of a new era for energy. Last year, Denmark set a cut-off date for fossil fuel extraction. Today we are taking a decisive step toward a clean energy future. The EU has set a goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and the Commission has set a target of 300 GW of offshore wind in order to attain this goal.

“By constructing the world’s first energy hub with a potential capacity of 10 GW, Denmark will contribute significantly to this ambitious target, not only by dramatically expanding renewable energy production, but also by supplying our European neighbours with an abundance of clean energy,” the Minister said.

A broad coalition of Danish parties earlier decided to establish two energy hubs and associated offshore windfarms, one as an artificial island in the North Sea and one on the Danish island Bornholm.

The hubs’ initial capacity will be 5 GW, three times the current installed offshore wind capacity in Denmark. Later they will be expanded to provide a capacity of 12 GW.