The competition is already in full swing as to who will win the job of creating the green energy island of the future in the North Sea. So far, there are only two known bidders, and one of them is the energy group Ørsted, which already has a distinctive and forward-looking green profile.
At Ørsted, 41-year-old civil engineer Jesper Kühn Olesen leads the team and, despite his age, he already has extensive experience in developing large green projects. He has developed four offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 1,820 MW – of which 900 MW are already operating off the coast of Taiwan.
Before the civil engineer became development project director for the Energy Island, he managed the large offshore wind turbine project based in Taiwan. In a Danish context, the project in East Asia is already twice the size of the Thor wind farm, which will be Denmark's largest when completed.
Historically large projects are therefore nothing new for Jesper Kühn Olesen, even though the Energy Island in the North Sea will cost around 10 billion DKK. It is a project in a different category, and it is something that arouses pride in him.
- There was broad political support in the Folketing for creating the Energy Island in the North Sea, which will become a green energy hub. I am actually really proud that Denmark is creating the island. We will become pioneers in the area, as with wind turbines, says Jesper Kühn Olensen and adds:
- The Energy Island is a gigantic project, but the most important thing is that the Energy Island is ready and easy to use for Energinet.
The modular Energy Island
No one knows what the future holds, and that is something that is being taken into account. Jesper Kühn Olesen and his team are working on a modular solution that can be scaled up and down according to need.
- Our idea is based on a concept where the individual modules can be replaced. Just think about how big the difference is between the technology today and ten years ago. The Energy Island should form the framework for the green transition, and at the same time it must not slow down development. That is why we do not yet know the shape or size of the island. We simply do not know what the future will look like, explains Jesper Kühn Olesen and continues:
- But it is an extremely aggressive environment out in the North Sea. We will have to prepare the island so that it can withstand not only a 100-year wave, but also a 1000 or even 10,000-year wave. We estimate that the construction phase itself will take up to three years. This also means that we must work in a way that the structures are not partially or completely destroyed during winter periods when we are not working, explains Jesper Kühn Olesen.
The materials from which the future Energy Island will be built have not yet been determined, but are being tested by the partner companies Bouygues Travaux Publics and Van Oord in France and the Netherlands. However, one thing is particularly important for both Ørsted and the project director himself.
- We want to leave nature in a better state than we found it. It is part of our DNA at Ørsted, and it is really important to me personally too, says Jesper Kühn Olesen.
The tender is still underway
At this time, it is still unknown whether more than Ørsted and CIP/COP will bid for the Energy Island project when the Danish Energy Agency opens the bidding round. But there are several questions.
- It is very interesting what will be in the tender documents. At this time, we only know that the island will be a hub for energy. This can be done in many ways. Perhaps some of the electricity will be used for hydrogen production on the island. It may also be that part of the electricity will be made into hydrogen directly in the wind turbines, and then transported further as hydrogen, says Jesper Kühn Olesen.
However, there is one thing that remains really important to Jesper Kühn Olesen as a Dane.
- We have the North Sea with a shallow sea depth and lots of wind, and that is huge potential. The energy island is a historic and unique opportunity to create an export product to the rest of the world, he explains.
Ørsted's vision for the Energy Island holds huge potential for Denmark and Europe. Jesper Kühn Olesen is no stranger to this, and there is no doubt why the energy giant will participate in the tender.
- We are here to win, not to come in second or third. Ørsted is up to the task, says Jesper Kühn Olesen, who is determined to win and make history.
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