An ambitious plan coming out of Denmark would create so-called “energy islands” in the high seas that will be surrounded by wind turbines to gather abundant, renewable energy.
These artificial power waystations allow for groups of hundreds of wind-catchers to be installed far from the coast, collecting electricity that will be distributed to the mainland via a cable from the island storage hubs, according to a description from the Danish Energy Agency.
In the latest step to bring the concept to fruition, the investment firm working on a group of isles has started a new company, called Copenhagen Energy Islands. It is tasked with seeing the plan to the finish line.
One of the first islands in the works would be more than 62 miles into the North Sea, serving as a conduit for enough energy for 10 million homes, per a video clip from investor Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the group that started the new company.
The partners’ plan calls for 10 islands to be created, according to a news release.
Denmark has set benchmarks in offshore wind since the early 1990s, when the country built the world’s first offshore wind farm. Officials now see the islands as vital to the renewable power sources becoming a game-changing force for the planet’s electricity system.
“The challenge for offshore wind is less about building the incremental offshore wind farm, but more how to integrate large-scale offshore wind energy into the global energy systems. We see energy islands as a key tool in solving this challenge and realizing the ambitious offshore wind targets across the globe,” Jakob Baruël Poulsen, founder of Energy Partners, said in the release.
Bloomberg reported that the multi-island plan, set to take shape in “coming decades,” has a $163 billion price tag. In addition to collecting wind power, the islands will produce “green” hydrogen, per the story.
Benefits listed by the partners include reducing transmission costs, realizing synergies between hydrogen and wind power production, and utilizing existing technology more efficiently.
Officials said in the release that the 10 islands will be located “around the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and South-East Asia.”
Renderings of an island look futuristic and idyllic, complete with observation overhangs, green spaces, and a helicopter pad. It seems to be about the size of a town and is surrounded by turbines.
The island concept — and this isn’t the only iteration of it — hasn’t come without setbacks. The Danish government announced in the summer that one proposal would be vetted more thoroughly, noting higher-than-expected costs.
Bloomberg reported on hurdles with producing green hydrogen offshore, including finding a freshwater supply needed for the process. The story also noted that the islands could be susceptible to “attacks.”
But the new company is evidence that investors are committed to expediting offshore energy hubs.
“If we want to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, we will need to scale up the deployment of offshore wind and other renewables to an unprecedented level,” Poulsen said in the release.
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