On Monday, the government and a broad majority in the Danish Parliament presented a plan for new offshore wind tenders with state support of up to a maximum of DKK 55.2 billion. The many millions will go to jumpstart some of the offshore wind projects that were not bid for in last year's offshore wind tender.
Specifically, the government and the compromise parties have pointed to the areas of North Sea Central and North Sea South and Hesselø as the projects that will be put out to tender in the coming years. This has left out the project area of North Sea North.
The Business Region MidtVest (BRMV), which represents seven municipalities in the area, is incomprehensible about this decision. According to BRMV, North Sea North contains the strongest wind resources in Danish waters, and it is also close to planned hydrogen and energy infrastructure projects in the region.
BRMV calls the decision a strategic mistake. The mayors in the collaboration believe that the opt-out undermines Denmark's opportunities to develop a competitive PtX industry and creates an imbalance in national energy planning.
- The fact that we initially do not include the North Sea North in the tender is not only a regional loss, it is a national loss. Denmark is in the process of building a green export industry, where the raw material itself is electricity from offshore wind turbines, and therefore there must be access to electricity from offshore wind turbines in the areas where production is to take place. This cannot be solved from Southwest Jutland alone, says Erik Flyvholm (V), mayor of Lemvig.
Uncomprehending the omission
According to BRMV, there is also a risk that billions of investments and jobs will be concentrated in Southwest Jutland, as both the North Sea Central and South are planned to be brought ashore in Esbjerg. This leaves other parts of the country out.
The mayors point out that the field is ideally located in relation to the national hydrogen pipeline and Energy Hub Holstebro, where companies such as Everfuel, Plug Power and Sumitomo are in the process of building up production of green hydrogen. They also warn against concentrating all onshore wind in one place, as this could increase the vulnerability of the electricity grid and limit security of supply.
- It is a strategic mistake to leave out the most promising offshore wind area, both technically and economically. We do not understand how Denmark's PtX and export ambitions can be realised without bringing the North Sea North into play, says H.C. Østerby (S), mayor of Holstebro.
According to BRMV, the government's decision contrasts with the desire for a balanced Denmark and is causing frustration in a region that has already prepared to support the green transition. The seven mayors therefore call on the government to quickly present a plan for additional offshore wind supply that is in harmony with the expansion of the hydrogen infrastructure in Jutland.
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