Denmark has launched a major tender for offshore wind energy that could power the country’s entire electricity demand.
Currently, Denmark has around 3 GW of offshore wind energy capacity, with 1 GW of offshore wind being able to power around one million European homes.
Denmark’s recently announced offshore wind tender could award up to 10 GW – more than enough to energise the nation’s population of roughly 5.9 million people.
The remaining surplus in energy could then be exported to neighbouring countries, providing significant financial benefits.
The energy could also be used to generate renewable hydrogen and green fuels, which will be essential as Denmark aims to o reduce CO2 emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by 2030.
Boosting Denmark’s offshore energy capacity
The offshore energy auction will add 6 GW of power to the Danish electricity grid, with six wind farm areas tendered in the auction.
Three of these wind farm areas are located in the North Sea, two in the Kattegat and one in the Baltic Sea.
Developers who are successful in the auction will have the option to install more wind capacity in their tendered areas than the volumes initially outlined by the government.
The offshore wind farms are scheduled to be completed by 2030, and participants must state the price they are willing to pay to the state over 30 years to win the right to build the farms.
The auction will feature improved pre-qualification criteria to ensure social and environmental standards.
This includes guaranteeing compliance with human rights and includes measures to combat social dumping.
A 20% stake in each of the projects will be owned by the Danish government.
Economic impacts
The offshore wind energy tender is expected to generate significant financial and societal benefits for Denmark.
The auction is expected to attract major investments of over €13bn and create around 12,000 jobs.
The launch of the tender marks a pivotal moment in Denmark’s journey towards a sustainable future.
With the potential to power the entire nation and even export surplus energy to neighbouring countries, this initiative underscores Denmark’s commitment to combatting climate change and embracing renewable energy sources.
