Denmark to Build Windfarms on Artificial Islands

The climate and energy ministry of Denmark has revealed new plans to build artificial islands for windfarms.

One or more islands will be built with offshore wind turbines surrounding them.

The project will have a capacity of 10 gigawatts and be able to supply almost 10 million homes with clean electricity.

Denmark produced 41% of its total energy in 2018 via wind power alone - the highest percentage measured in Europe.

This month the Danes passed a climate act with the lofty goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 70% of the levels measured in 1990 by 2030. They also aim to have achieved net carbon neutrality by 2050 with the aid of legally binding targets every five years from 2020 onwards.

The private sector will be the main financier for the new project, and it will cost in the range of £22.5bn to £33.8bn.

According to climate and energy minister, Dan Jørgensen, the capacity of the park will be five times higher than the wind power output that Denmark currently has:

“If we are to realise the the enormous potential of offshore wind, new technologies will have to be developed to convert green power into fuel for aircraft, ships and industry”.

65mn kroner of the 2020 budget has been allocated by the ministry in order to fund research into storing and converting the energy coming in to the new wind park into hydrogen. This is because not all 6 million of Denmark’s inhabitants will use the power.

The ministry said that North Sea and Baltic Sea are two locations that have been considered for the project, amongst several others.

The new climate act was agreed upon by eight of Denmark’s 10 parties, and will provide a mechanism by which the government is obliged to present projects each year to lower carbon emissions from every sector, from transport to agriculture.

“We have decided not to aim for what we know to be possible, but what we know to be necessary,” said Jørgensen.

“Our task is now to make the necessary possible. With the target enshrined in a legally binding climate act, we hope Denmark can inspire other countries to follow suit.”