The Danish Energy Agency has formally announced today that it will, as expected, build an artificial island in the North Sea, 50 miles off the coast of the Jutland Peninsula. This green energy hub is expected to supply 10GW: approximately the energy needs of 10 million households across Europe. The artificial island, which measures about 120,000 square meters, will receive, store and transmit power from nearby wind farms to the shore. Reuters reports that the project is likely to cost about $ 34 billion, and is expected to be operational by 2033.
Officials add that it is finally hoped that the island will house a “green fuel” plant that can then be sent to Denmark. This is probably an extension of the Danish plan to use surplus wind power to use an electrolyser to extract hydrogen from seawater without any CO2 emissions. And Denmark, which is one of the largest oil producers in the European Union, expects to use this island to renew its own energy industry. The country had earlier said it would stop mining fossil fuels by 2050, and had already stopped offering tenders for future exploration.