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Large-scale offshore wind power

The wind power potential in Danish waters is more than three times higher than the electricity consumption in a fully electrified Denmark. New large-scale solutions will be of decisive importance to the Danish contribution to Europe’s green transition.

LARGE-SCALE OFFSHORE WIND POWER - A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPE'S GREEN TRANSITION

Offshore wind farms have become a Danish symbol in the world, where global companies are now erecting and operating more and more offshore wind farms in virtually all regions of the world.

As a result of innovation, political ambitions and a good investment environment, the offshore wind power industry has now been consolidated as a well-established industry which is well on the way to making offshore wind power completely competitive on market terms.

Offshore wind farms are a key example of how technologies which were largely born out of a collective effort to meet Danish targets on CO2 reductions will, over time, make it possible to implement climate-improving measures also in other parts of the world and thus achieve a global effect.

The energy consumption in a fully electrified society will constitute approx. 13 GW, while the wind power potential in Danish waters alone is as much as 40 GW.
The enormous Danish offshore wind resources can therefore not only be utilised for Danish energy consumption, but can also become a significant contribution to the green transition of European energy supply.

Offshore wind potential

Light bar: Traditional electricity consumption
Dark bar: New electricity consumption

The offshore wind potential in Danish waters far exceed the need for electricity in a fully electrified Denmark. New electricity consumption is heatpumps, EV's, datacentres, etc. Classical electricity consumption are the things we are more familiar with: lightning and electrical machines in households, businesses and social institutions.

Opportunities

Implementation of large-scale offshore wind power requires new solutions. Even though the establishment of offshore wind farms is a well-tested technology and takes place in a well-functioning global industry, it will require significant new solutions if the enormous Danish offshore wind power potential is to be realised at the speed demanded by the political objectives and targets towards 2030 and 2050.

We must not least look at the new solutions in the infrastructure and in the integrated energy systems which are to absorb renewable energy and ensure that it can be sold for more climate-friendly energy consumption across sectors and national borders.

Continued cost reductions combined with solutions which can support the balancing of the onshore electricity grid and solutions which can minimise additional expansions of the electricity grid are the most essential factors in determining whether large-scale offshore wind power can be developed in Denmark.

Large-scale offshore wind power will be one of the most important paths to climate-neutral societies, and many of the triggering factors for whether developers and investors will be attracted to building large-scale offshore wind power facilities must be found in an innovative and holistic energy system.

ENERGY ISLANDS IN DENMARK

Denmark is establishing the world’s first energy islands, marking the beginning of a new era for large-scale offshore wind power. The two energy islands are to be completed in 2030, and will be able to supply 5 GW of power. This is enough to meet the average electricity consumption of 5 million households. 

 

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How Energinet focus on large-scale offshore wind power

Energinet seeks to:

  • Play an active facilitating role in the realisation of the Danish, regional and European ambitions for large-scale offshore wind power.
  • Support the political ambitions for hybrid solutions and offshore energy islands’ from which the energy, in the form of electricity or hydrogen, can be distributed to several Northern European
    countries, thus utilising large-scale offshore wind power and minimising the need for new onshore overhead lines.
  • Work actively for a better geographical correlation between production and consumption and, in particular, highlight the positive security of supply effects of offshore wind power on different locations.
  • Contribute to the identification, possibly through political initiatives, of favourable landing zones or energy clusters for large-scale offshore wind power from the North Sea, where there is great access to the electricity and gas systems as well as access to storage of hydrogen and other green gases in salt caverns.