Denmark to build world’s first wind energy island in the North Sea to power millions of homes

The giant hub will also supply industry and transport, cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Jane Dalton reports

The hub will be supplied by 200 wind turbines (REUTERS)

Denmark is planning to build the world's first wind energy island in the North Sea, to produce enough green electricity for 3 million European households.

The island, which will be the size of 18 football fields initially, will be linked to 200 offshore wind turbines, from which it will store and distribute energy.

The electricity will power ships, planes, industry and heavy transport, as well as homes.

The decision came as the European Union unveiled plans to transform its electricity system to rely mostly on renewable energy within a decade and increase its offshore wind energy capacity 25-fold by 2050.

“This is truly a great moment for Denmark and for the global green transition,” said climate minister Dan Joergensen.

“The energy hub in the North Sea will be the largest construction project in Danish history. It will make a big contribution to the realisation of the enormous potential for European offshore wind.”

The artificial island, which will be created 50 miles off the country’s west coast, will connect to several European countries.

The plan will play a key role in Denmark’s efforts to hit a legally binding goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 from 1990 levels, one of the world’s most ambitious targets.

The North Sea hub will have an initial capacity of 3 gigawatts, eventually increasing to 10 gigawatts, the government said.

Costing around 210 billion Danish kroner (£25 billion), it is due to come into operation around 2033.

With its favourable wind speeds, Denmark was a pioneer in wind energy, building the world’s first offshore wind farm almost 30 years ago.

In December, it decided to halt the search for oil and gas in the Danish part of the North Sea.

The Danish government also has plans for a similar but smaller energy island in the Baltic Sea.