Vesterhav Projects’ Onshore Plans Entering Phase 2 of Public Consultation Ahead of Spring EIA Deadline

December 16, 2022, by Adrijana Buljan

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has started the second phase of public consultation for the new environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the onshore part of Vattenfall’s Vesterhav Syd offshore wind farm, which is being re-considered, together with that of its sibling project Vesterhav Nord.

Visualisation of Vesterhav Syd/Vattenfall

Namely, the two nearshore wind farms were grated environmental permits in 2017, which were then rejected by the Environment and Food Complaints Board in 2021 and sent it back to be revised.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency initiated new environmental assessment of the onshore infrastructure for the two project at the beginning of this year.

The environmental assessments contain two public phases where affected citizens and organisations can submit their consultation responses.

The first hearings, also called the idea phase, were already held. Each of the second phases includes an eight-week hearing and, once these are completed, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency expects that new environmental assessments can be issued by spring 2023.

Vattenfall, which won the tender to build Vesterhav Nord and Syd, had initially planned to commission the wind farms in 2020, but had to delay the projects after the new processes were initiated, with the commissioning deadline pushed back to 2023.

For Vesterhav Syd, this is the second and final consultation phase before a new environmental permit can be issued. The consultation period runs until 6 February 2023.

The second phase of public consultation for the Vesterhav Nord project’s onshore part is expected to begin in January.