Denmark to construct world’s first energy island in North Sea

Denmark on February 4, 2021, approved a plan of constructing the world’s first energy field island in the North Sea. The energy island will be producing and storing enough green energy for covering the electricity needs of 3 million European households.

The artificial island in the North Sea, which is in its initial phase, will be the size of 18 football fields. It will be linked to hundreds of offshore wind turbines and will be supplying power to the households and green hydrogen for use in aviation, shipping, industry, and heavy transport.

The move of building an energy island has come as the European Union unveiled plans of transforming its electricity system to rely mainly on renewable energy within a decade and for increasing its offshore wind capacity 25-fold by the year 2050.

#Denmark decides to construct the world’s first wind-energy hub as an artificial island in the North Sea🌬️🇩🇰

Once finished, the hub will cover 10 million European households with green electricity 🍀#GreenEnergy #offshorewind #NorthSea #CleanEnergy@stateofgreendk @KlimaMin pic.twitter.com/JmO15SpMy3

— Denmark.dk (@denmarkdotdk) February 4, 2021

About energy island in the North Sea:

The energy island in the North Sea will be costing around 210 billion Danish crowns ($33.9 billion). It will be located 80 kms off the west coast of Denmark and its surrounding wind turbines will have an initial capacity of 3 gigawatts. The island will be operational around 2033.

Denmark to cut greenhouse emissions:

The energy island in the North Sea is a significant part of Denmark’s legally binding target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030 from 1990 levels. It is one of the world’s most ambitious targets.

Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen while commenting on the plan stated that this is truly a great moment for Denmark as well as for the global green transition. He added that the island will be making a major contribution to the realization of the enormous potential for European offshore wind.

Denmark’s contribution towards increasing use of renewable energy:

The Nordic country, home to offshore wind farm developer Orsted and wind turbine maker Vestas, was with its favorable wind speeds a developer in both the onshore and offshore wind, building the first offshore wind farm of the world almost 30 years ago.

In December, Denmark decided to halt the search for gas and oil in the Danish part of the North Sea and instead hopes of making it a hub for carbon storage and renewable energy.

Denmark has also been planning for an energy island in the Baltic Sea. The country will be holding a controlling stake in both islands.