Words by Smiley Team
An entire artificial island made out of wind turbines is Denmark’s next push towards lowering its emissions. With a capacity of 10 gigawatts, the site will produce enough energy for the entire country one and a half times over.
The Danish government expects the island to reach completion by 2030. ‘Energy Island’ as it has been named, should supply 3 million households at first, which will later rise to 10 million with further development.
“This is truly a great moment for Denmark and for the global green transition,” said the Danish energy minister Dan Jørgensen. “The island will make a big contribution to the realization of the enormous potential for European offshore wind.”
Situated off the country’s western coast, the wind turbines will send green energy to the mainland as well as neighbouring countries. Constructed away from residential areas, offshore turbines can be built much higher than those built onshore, with some reaching up to around 260 metres - nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower.
The island’s base will span over 120,000 metres square, as much as 18 football pitches. At this scale, it should provide space for storing surplus energy which could potentially be used to convert sea water into hydrogen - a more sustainable fuel source for ships or other transportation.
Since a team of Danish scientists built the first wind turbine in 1891, Denmark has taken a number of measures to combat climate change. In 2020 it pulled out of North Sea oil and gas exploration and in 2021 it committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
