BORNHOLM: The Danish prestige project Energiø Bornholm is back on track. This is clear after Denmark and Climate Minister Lars Aagaard (M) reached an agreement with Germany on Monday to "share the costs of the support needed for offshore wind".
The agreement was reached at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities writes in a press release.
It is not clear how exactly the costs of the three GW offshore wind farm off Bornholm will be divided between Denmark and Germany. However, it is clear that the distribution "reflects a good balance between the benefits of the project and the expected distribution of green electricity".
The expected size of the bill for the two countries is also not clear.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented the agreement at a press conference on Monday evening. Here, Mette Frederiksen says that "the goal is now to inspire other countries in the EU to follow suit".
In the press release, Climate Minister Lars Aagaard calls the agreement "a major milestone".
- It is an important step towards an energy-independent Europe with lower energy prices, which is a cornerstone of the competitiveness of European industry.
- There should also be no doubt that it is a sensible agreement for Danish consumers, says Lars Aagaard.
Energiø Bornholm, where the offshore wind farm and its infrastructure will be located on Danish soil, while a cable can send part of the electricity to Germany, has long been a controversial project.
Originally, it was one of former Climate Minister Dan Jørgensen's prestige projects, but in recent years delays and cost increases have characterized the process.
In 2024, it emerged that the Danish Energy Agency itself estimated that the project would result in a socio-economic deficit of around seven billion kroner. The Economic Wise Men even recommended that the plans be dropped if they could not result in a socio-economic surplus.
In January 2025, the government chose to slow down the pace of the project because the economy was dependent on German interest, and the election and the new government in Germany were decisive here.
In September 2025, Lars Aagaard was able to report that there was German interest in the project, and negotiations have been underway since then. According to the press release, the energy island can supply electricity to around three million households in Denmark and Germany.
The project was designated in September last year as one of eight so-called energy highways that the EU Commission will help EU countries accelerate.
Energy Island Bornholm has also received around 4.8 billion kroner in EU support.
Lars Aagaard will now summon the parties in the Danish Parliament that are involved in previous agreements on Energy Island Bornholm to "seek their support".
/ritzau/
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