The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has opened a supplementary five-week public consultation on the offshore part of the environmental assessment for the Hesselø offshore wind farm.
This June, a political agreement was signed on the new location for the Hesselø offshore wind farm, which moved the project site to the south of the initially chosen area that was deemed unsuitable for construction of offshore wind farms.
The strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the onshore part of the project, which underwent public consultation in February/March 2021, remained unchanged following the project relocation.
However, the environmental assessment of the offshore part of the Hesselø needs to be updated and is therefore undergoing consultation, after which the Energy Agency will, among other things, decide which topics and environmental impacts must be covered.
The result of these environmental assessments is expected to be presented in the second public consultation in the first half of 2024.
If an EIA permit is granted, it is expected to be in the form of a Section 25 permit under the Environmental Assessment Act for the land facility in mid-2024 for the land-based part of the project, according to the DEA.
The environmental impact assessment of the offshore part of the project will be carried out in 2025-2026, when the winner of the tender for the Hesselø offshore wind farm has been appointed.
The offshore wind farm will have an installed capacity of between 800 MW and 1,200 MW, and is expected to be fully operational by 2029, at the latest.
The offshore project site is located in Hesselø Bay, some 30 kilometres from the coast of North Zealand, 30 kilometres from Anholt, and around 35 kilometres offshore Djursland.