In early 2021, Denmark announced a bold and somewhat unprecedented plan to tackle climate change by adding another innovative technology to Denmark’s renewable energy catalog: a floating energy island the size of 18 football fields 50 miles out in the North Sea. As a sector of the government’s Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Utilities, the Danish Energy Agency announced the plan to go forward with this massive infrastructure project, aiding in Denmark’s innovative steps forward in renewable energy. If the plan heads into construction and the island is fully completed, it will keep Denmark leading the pack in terms of clean energy and its commitment to reducing its national carbon footprint, possibly assisting other countries by supplying clean energy to them, too.
While the plan is still in early development, this island is projected to house 200-600 giant offshore wind turbines in the hopes of providing enough energy to power 3 million households in Denmark and in other neighboring European countries. If the island is constructed and run as planned, then there are plans to expand the artificial island to up to three times its size, allowing the island to produce 10 gigawatts of clean energy. This would be equivalent to 1.5 times more than what Denmark’s carbon reduction goals define, which under Denmark’s Climate Act commits the country to be carbon neutral by 2050 and to reduce its 1990 emissions levels by 70% by 2030. This progressive plan received broad support, as Danish politicians across the political spectrum understood the importance of this project while also understanding the requirements that Denmark will have to make in order to meet their goals.
This wide-reaching support may have stemmed from how Denmark has attempted something similar in the past, though to a much smaller extent. Surprisingly, Denmark built the first offshore wind farm all the way back in 1991 and has continued to innovate within this technological sector ever since. The Danish government is now pursuing what is called the “hub and spoke” energy scheme, in which offshore wind farms, including the one seen on the North Sea energy island, will become a more central focus in the commitment to carbon neutrality. As a part of this proposal, another plan for a smaller energy island to be constructed in the Baltic Sea, east of mainland Denmark, was passed. This island is designed to provide clean energy to Denmark, as well as Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and was developed with the European Union’s proposition to increase offshore wind capacity 5 times by 2030 and 25 times by 2050. This Baltic Sea island was originally proposed in 2019 and is the result of an agreement between the Danish and German governments to work together on increasing the offshore wind capacity of the European Union. However, the North Sea island will be a completely different project altogether, based purely off scope alone.
The North Sea energy island, if constructed, would become the biggest construction project in Danish history, costing US $34 million, with the island being half-owned by the Danish government and the other half being privatized. Because of its size, the island will not only be able to supply renewable energy to Denmark, but it is hypothesized that additional energy will be disbursed to other European countries like the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. It is proposed that construction for the North Sea energy island will start in 2033, though some experts are skeptical as to whether this will actually occur due to the sheer amount of planning, resources, and manpower required to construct such a massive project. Once the project is completed, though, the European Union will be on track to meet its clean energy commitment goals. Currently, offshore wind is supplying 12 gigawatts to the EU, with Denmark supplying 1.7 gigawatts even without the two proposed energy islands. Once the two islands are both constructed, Denmark will then be scaled up to providing 6.7 gigawatts, with 3 gigawatts coming from the North Sea island and 2 additional gigawatts coming from the Baltic Sea (not even including the proposed expansion of the North Sea island, which could possibly add another 7 gigawatts).
In addition to the environmental benefits associated with this artificial island for Denmark, the project would also inspire other countries to draw up similar plans. If the North Sea and Baltic Sea energy islands are successful, other countries may follow suit and construct islands, aiding in the worldwide reduction of carbon emissions. As we head into the new decade, many countries are approaching their carbon neutrality commitments rapidly. These islands may prove a viable option to increase the renewable energy potential of many countries, like the United States. Additionally, these islands may provide more than just environmental benefits. According to Thomas Thune Andersen, Chairman of Danish green energy company Ørsted, “The scaling up of offshore wind should be the catalyst for other ocean-based economic activities worldwide.” His company built the Vindeby wind farm, the first offshore wind farm ever completed back in 1991, where he noted that offshore wind farms have a positive impact on the local economy of an area. At the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Davos Agenda virtual event, Andersen stated that a lot has benefited from offshore wind farms, such as mariculture, seaweed farming, and reef/fish nursery construction.
Denmark’s bold step forward is impressive and is yet another example of their continuing renewable energy evolution. The country still has to construct the island, which may not occur for at least another decade, and will surely prove an infrastructural challenge, but if successfully implemented, these energy islands could jumpstart other countries’ clean energy initiatives that will help them reach carbon neutrality, perhaps inspiring even more innovative alternatives to nonrenewable energy in the future.
Sources:
1991-2001 The first offshore wind farms. (n.d.). Orsted. Retrieved March 25, 2021, from https://orsted.com/en/about-us/whitepapers/making-green-energy-affordable/1991-to-2001-the-first-offshore-wind-farms
Broom, D. (2021, February 16). This artificial island will power 3 million European households. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/denmark-history-making-offshore-wind-energy-hub/
Denmark to build first energy island in North Sea. (2021, February 4). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55931873
Katanich, D. (2021, February 5). Denmark’s first artificial energy island will power 3 million homes. EuroNews.
https://www.euronews.com/living/2021/02/05/denmark-s-first-artificial-energy-island-will-power-3-million-homes