Bornholm Energy Island takes decisive step towards realization

German transmission system operator 50Hertz and its Danish counterpart Energinet welcomed the announcement by Robert Habeck, Germany's Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, and Lars Aagaard, Denmark's Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities. The intergovernmental agreement creates the preconditions for realizing the electricity hub on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm as well as several hundred kilometers of 525 kV direct current sea and land cables by joining forces and sharing responsibilities fairly. In the future, at least 3 GW of offshore wind power capacity will be made available to the energy markets of both countries via Bornholm Energy Island.

The Energy Island is considered a lighthouse project because it will make it possible for offshore wind energy to no longer be used exclusively by individual countries via point-to-point connections, but to flow via direct current networks at sea to where there is currently the greatest demand.

Stefan Kapferer, CEO of 50Hertz: "In the Bornholm Energy Island project, the lines will also be available for electricity trading between the two countries. This makes economic sense, and we are also increasing security of supply under the new geopolitical conditions."

Thoma Egebo, CEO of Energinet: "For Denmark and Energinet, the construction of large offshore wind farms and interconnectors is an important part of the political ambitions and plans to export not only 'green' electricity, but also 'green' molecules via a future hydrogen backbone in Denmark. Last but not least, this will also support the decarbonization of German industry. So this joint project in the Baltic Sea and our projects in the North Sea will have a huge impact on the energy transition in the EU."

The agreement provides for a 50:50 split: Both grid operators will each bear 50 percent of the investments, each receive half of the electricity generated, and will also share equally the congestion revenues from the respective lines to Germany and Denmark.