Denmark and Germany approve Bornholm Energy Island project

Denmark and Germany have agreed to complete the planned 3GW Bornholm Energy Island project, which will supply up to 4.5 million Danish and German households with clean energy.

In an effort to increase energy security while fighting climate change, Denmark and Germany will cooperate on integrating their electricity grids to significantly increase the trade of electricity between the two nations.

The Bornholm Energy Island hub will be connected to Germany by an underwater cable. The cable connecting Denmark and Germany will have a length of approximately 470km and will include a new substation on Bornholm connecting the two halves of the interconnector.

“The agreement reinforces the already close Danish-German energy cooperation and literarily strengthens our bonds by adding another electricity connection between our countries. The Energy Island is truly a landmark in energy history and comes at a time where international cooperation is more urgent than ever before,” says Dan Jørgensen, minister for climate, energy, and utilities of Denmark.

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"The cross-border energy cooperation project with Denmark is a flagship project. The green power from Bornholm Energy Island will supplement national power generation and reduce our dependence on fossil energy imports. With such projects among European partners we achieve two key goals at the same time: European energy security and climate neutrality,” says Robert Habeck, Germany’s minister for economic affairs and climate action in Germany.

The countries will seek a fair and balanced distribution of cost and benefits and will collaborate on possible future connections to the energy island.

More about Bornholm

Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden and northeast of Germany.

Bornholm’s location in the Baltic Sea makes it possible to isolate the electricity supply from other electric grids. The area functions as a complete mini-community with its hospital, workplaces, houses, schools and more, making it an attractive location for the energy island experiment.

The Energy Island Bornholm project aims to make Bornholm a meeting point for green energy and development. This includes the possibility of establishing Bornholm as a green refuel station for ships and establishing a National Centre for Green Energy.