The government said no thanks to Danish offshore wind cooperation – but would like Norwegian companies to build the island – Energy and Climate
Energiøya, as a Danish planner in the North Sea, corresponds to a total investment of around NOK 300 billion. Norway has been offered to participate in the Danish scheme, which will collect power from various offshore wind farms and, among other things, be sold to land on the continent. But Norway turned down participation as a power exporter and was therefore not tested for the summit on wind power in the North Sea in May.
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Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland told Energy and Climate recently that it is not relevant to link up with the Danish island now.
Non-binding decision
Norway is involved in the North Sea cooperation on offshore wind. It had a ministerial meeting in Dublin on 11 and 12 September. This is a forum that the EU uses, among other things, as a kind of consultation body when it has to develop regulations for offshore wind. At this meeting it was adopted a non-binding commitment to develop 260 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2050. Norway’s ambition is to allocate areas for 30 000 MW (30 GW) of offshore wind production in Norway.
Even if Norway says no to participate in the Danish energy islands, the Norwegian authorities will nevertheless pave the way for Norwegian business to get a share of the big cake the building represents. To assess this, the Norwegian Embassy in Copenhagen and Innovation Norway have commissioned a “feasibility study of the Danish energy islands.” The background is an improved chance of succeeding in the offshore wind market. The study, which Energy and Climate has seen, was completed in July.
Sharpen the effort
It is the Danish company “Green Ducklings” that has done studies for the Norwegian authorities. Among other things, it comes with recommendations on where the Norwegian authorities should step in to help Norwegian companies get contracts.
The tender round with concept selection must be completed in 2024. The expansion and development of the Danish energy island is divided into four.
The first part is to build the island itself, then it’s the wind farms. Next come transfer systems and finally what are called innovation activities. This includes, among other things, the possibility of using excess power from offshore wind to produce green hydrogen.
Stone from Norway?
Several million tons of stone will be needed to build the island. The consultant’s report points out that Norway or Sweden are the best placed to supply stone. What needs to be built is a permanent, artificial island.
This differs from the wind farms, which have an estimated lifespan of 30 years.
The conclusion is that a number of Norwegian companies are well placed to be able to get training in building the island itself, and parts of the infrastructure such as cables.
The energy eyes can also be seen as producers of e.g. green hydrogen, and in such a future scenario it points to opportunities for Norwegian companies.
On the other hand, the Danish consulting company believes that it will be more difficult to enter the wind turbine market itself. Here, other actors are dominant.
More EU summits
Denmark leads the way in the EU countries’ offshore wind investment, both in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.
In May, the Danish government hosted a summit of the European Commission and EU countries around the North Sea. The theme was wind power and Danes’ initiative. On 30 August, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen again hosted a new summit meeting with the European Commission and the EU countries around the Baltic Sea. This time the topic was the potential for wind power in the Baltic Sea and the region’s energy security in light of the Ukraine war.
Large planer
In 2021, Danish politicians agreed to build an artificial energy island 80 kilometers west of Jutland in the North Sea. The sea depth where it is to be built is between 20 and 30 metres. It will be between 42 and 50 hectares in size. This corresponds to an area of 70-80 football pitches.
The first part of the island is to be completed in 2033. The island, which will become a hub for offshore wind, is planned to be connected to the power grid in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The island must be completed in 2040, with a capacity of 10 GW.