Danish Energy Agency Adopts North Sea I Offshore Wind Area Plan

October 1, 2024, by Adrijana Buljan

The Danish Energy Agency has adopted a plan for the North Sea I offshore wind area following an environmental assessment of the plan and the consultation responses. The area comprises two subareas, the first of which has been already put out to tender with three offshore wind sites offered.

Planning area for the North Sea I; Image: Danish Energy Agency.

The plan, which describes the framework for future offshore wind farms in the North Sea I, does not define an upper installed capacity limit for offshore wind farms but the environmental assessment assumes minimum and maximum scenarios of 5,000 MW and 17,445 MW, respectively.

The planning area for the North Sea I is divided into two subareas. The plan includes the possibility of grid connection points that can receive a minimum of 3,000 MW, equivalent to energy supply for 3 million Danish households. The environmental assessment of the plan is based on the fact that for subarea 1 there is the possibility to connect 2,000 MW to the grid at Endrup and 1,000 MW at Idomlund.

The first three offshore wind farms in North Sea I subarea 1 (sites A1-A3) were put out to tender on 22 April 2024, together with Kattegat, Kriegers Flak II, and Hesselø areas, making it one of the biggest offshore wind tenders in the world as it is offering a minimum of 6 GW of new capacity spread over six wind farms, with the overplanting option allowing for 10 GW or more of new capacity to be added.

The deadline for bidding in the tender, including the three North Sea I sites A1, A2 and A3, is 5 December 2024. The offshore wind farms are expected to be in operation by the end of 2030 at the latest.

Tenders for North Sea I subarea 2 are yet to be launched.