Ørsted and ATP Bring Out Big Guns for North Sea Energy Island Bid

Ørsted and the Danish institutional investor ATP are bringing in Aarsleff, Bouygues, and Van Oord to support Ørsted and ATP’s bid for the North Sea energy island in Denmark.

Constructing the world’s first artificial energy island will require collaboration between highly specialised companies with proven track records within renewable energy development and complex offshore construction, Ørsted said.

The three companies are said to bring extensive design and engineering competences as well as vast experience from complex offshore construction projects around the globe.

With these partners on board, the Ørsted-ATP consortium said it has laid the foundation for a successful delivery of the North Sea energy island which will be a hub for renewable energy, create local jobs, and further strengthen Denmark’s strong position as an exporter of renewable energy solutions.

”Aarsleff, Bouygues and Van Oord comprise the strongest possible team to support our bid for the Danish North Sea energy island,” Rasmus Errboe, Head of Continental Europe at Ørsted, said.

”We are prepared to accelerate the green transition in a new and innovative way which will contribute to the transformation of the Danish energy system and benefit the Danish society whilst providing green solutions for Denmark and our European neighbours. We have selected these world-class suppliers based on their outstanding credentials within sustainability and innovation to make sure that the energy island is constructed with respect for the unique environment in the North Sea and with the highest degree of technical and commercial competences.”

Aarsleff, the Danish specialist in large-scale projects within infrastructure, climate change adaption, and energy, will be leading the construction work. The company was a key construction partner at the Oresund Link that connects Denmark and Sweden, has led several harbour expansion projects in the Nordics, including the ports of Skagen, Frederikshavn, and Stockholm, and has installed 600 foundations for offshore wind turbines at Horns Rev 2 and London Array Offshore Wind Farm, among others.

Bouygues Travaux Publics, an affiliate of Bouygues Construction, is said to bring in world-leading expertise in designing, building, and operating large-scale offshore constructions, such as bridges, tunnels, and land reclamations.

Van Oord focuses on dredging, land-reclamation, and offshore wind. The company has constructed the Palm Jumeirah and many other artificial islands and has decades of experience in the installation of offshore wind turbines, foundations, and cables. Van Oord has worked with Ørsted on offshore projects in several countries across the globe.

”The establishment of an energy island in the North Sea is an innovative and groundbreaking project and an important step towards contributing to solving the climate challenges,” Jesper Kristian Jacobsen, CEO of Per Aarsleff A/S, said.

”The complementary expertise of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Van Oord, and Aarsleff within offshore work will make up a strong partnership, and we look forward to contributing to the project together with Ørsted and ATP.”

The North Sea Energy Island is expected to be tendered in 2023 where Ørsted and ATP intend to submit a bid.

The North Sea Energy Island will be an artificially constructed island 80 kilometres from the shore of the peninsula Jutland.

Around 200 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 3 GW are expected to be installed in the first phase of the project by 2030.

When fully developed, the North Sea energy island hub will reach a capacity of 10 GW.