Wind Power

Ørsted and Copenhagen Infrastructure plan 5.2 GW of offshore wind

Ørsted and Copenhagen Infrastructure plan 5.2 GW of offshore wind
Denmark's North Sea energy island will produce 3 GW of energy, with a long-term expansion goal of 10 GW, using 200 offshore wind turbines. (Courtesy: Orsted)

Ørsted and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners agreed to develop around 5.2 GW of offshore wind in Denmark across four projects. 

The projects are Vikinge Banke (1.1 GW) and Jyske Banke Nord (1.1 GW) in the North Sea, and Bornholm Bassin Syd (1.5 GW) and Bornholm Basin Øst (1.5 GW) in the Baltic Sea. 

The projects would more than double Denmark’s current installed offshore wind capacity.

The European Commission estimates that by 2030, a double-digit-billion amount of euros will be invested in so-called Power-to-X technology. The development partners said the wind energy could be used to enable large-scale production of renewable hydrogen or green fuels.

In turn, this renewable hydrogen could be fed into the international hydrogen infrastructure that is on the drawing board in Northern Europe, turning the Danish North Sea and Baltic Sea regions into growth centers for renewable energy production.

Government tenders for offshore wind could help Denmark to realize its 70% carbon emission reduction target for 2030. A market also is expected among industries that currently depend on international gas and oil import, leading to increased energy independence and to greater carbon reductions by 2030.

European oil and natural gas markets have been roiled in recent months by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its ongoing use of energy as a threat to countries that oppose its actions.

Each of the proposed wind projects is around twice the size of Denmark’s largest operating offshore wind farm. Ørsted and CIP said they hope the projects can be built prior to and in parallel with projects in the government tenders. The partnership is subject to merger clearance, which could come before the end of the year.

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