Denmark reached a landmark agreement for the construction of an energy hub in the North Sea, reporting the installment of wind turbines with a combined capacity of 3 GW are expected to be installed in the first phase of the project.
Accordingly, the hub is planned to produce yet unseen amounts of green electricity and is one of the government’s flagship projects for the green transition in Europe. Fully implemented it will be able to cover the consumption of 10 million European households, the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities reported.
It is added that the project will be an artificially constructed island 80 kilometers from the shore of the peninsula Jutland. Around 200 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 3 GW are expected to be installed in the first phase of the project. Upon completion, the hub will reach a capacity of 10 GW.
The project will be used as an offshore power plant gathering and distributing electricity from hundreds of wind turbines surrounding the island directly to consumers in countries surrounding the North Sea.
Commenting on the hub’s development, the Danish Minister for Climate, Dan Jørgensen stated that
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 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 realization of the enormous potential for European offshore wind, and I am excited for our future collaboration with other European countries.
Moreover, the project is based on public-private partnership between the Danish state and private companies. Denmark will own the majority of the island, but private companies will be crucial for the project to fulfill the potential with regards to innovation, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and business potentials, the Ministry said.
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The island is expected to have a total area of at least 120,000 square metres, and in its first phase it will be able to provide three million European households with energy.
It will also offer the best opportunities to expand the project, by building a harbor and facilities for storage and conversion of electricity from the nearby wind turbines in the sea. It is the long-term ambition to be able to store green electricity on the island, convert it to liquid green fuel, and send it via subsea cables to Denmark and neighboring countries.
The Ministry concluded that details about the ownership of the island will be specified in order for a tender for private partnerships to be opened, making the island a reality as soon as possible.