Danish offshore wind giants Ørsted and CIP plan 5.2GW off home country

Danish developer Ørsted and investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have announced plans to develop about 5.2GW of subsidy-free offshore wind capacity in a 50:50 partnership.

Ørsted's existing projects in Danish waters include the 400MW Anholt wind farm

They plan to develop the four wind farms under Denmark’s “open-door” scheme, whereby developers can choose the capacity and location of their project, instead of developing a project selected by the government.

The four offshore wind projects – 1100MW Vikinge Banke and 1100MW Jyske Banke Nord in the North Sea, and 1500MW Bornholm Bassin Syd and 1500MW Bornholm Bassin Øst in the Baltic Sea – will correspond to more than double Denmark’s current installed offshore wind capacity of 2.3GW, according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly. 

Ørsted and CIP hope to use the power generated directly for power-to-x and feed it into the international hydrogen infrastructure, thus establishing a Danish power-to-x “stronghold”. Their planned individual and combined electrolyser capacity is unclear, however. 

They aim to commission the projects in 2027 or 2028.

Ørsted and CIP’s joint venture will encompass the development, construction, and operation of the offshore wind farms, as well as the related transmission assets.

Torsten Lodberg Smed, senior partner at CIP, said: “We’re pleased with the support from the Danish pension funds and their members, who prioritise and invest in the green transition."