Danish Nearshore Wind Farms Re-Enter EIA Process

The Danish Energy Agency is seeking ideas and proposals for the content of the supplementary environmental impact assessment (EIA) Vattenfall has to prepare for the Vesterhav Syd and Vesterhav Nord offshore wind farms.

The responses should be sent to the agency by 16 August at the latest.

As previously reported, Vattenfall delayed the two nearshore projects by three years after the Danish Energy Agency had requested the supplemental environmental impact report as a result of a decision by the Energy Complaints Board in December 2018 to ask for a new environmental assessment of the projects.

The 170MW Vesterhav Syd and the 180MW Vesterhav Nord will comprise a total of 41 Siemens Gamesa 8MW turbines installed along the west coast of Jutland.

Vattenfall is currently investigating possible wind turbine locations and has announced that it is working to move the turbines as far away from the coast within the designated areas as it is technologically and geographically possible to reduce the visual impact of the wind farms. The final turbine layout will be based on the results of the supplemental survey.

At the end of June, the Danish Energy Agency extended a deadline for Vattenfall to start the construction work on the two wind farms. 

Under the new extension, Vattenfall must start the construction work on the two wind farms by 31 December 2022 instead of 31 December 2019. Also, 95% of the offshore wind farms must be connected to the electricity grid by 31 December 2023 instead of 31 December 2020.