According to the companies involved, the proximity between the wind farms and island enables short cable routes and a simplification of infrastructure, which saves costs. Offshore logistics can also be optimised due to personnel, machinery and workshops on site. For this purpose, they would like to provide the island with its own harbour and a landing strip. All in all, the price for wind energy will decrease as a result. According to the initiators, this is an important prerequisite for making renewable energy competitive.
Landing strip for aeroplanes
Provided with a harbour, a landing strip for aeroplanes, warehouses, workshops and accommodations, the island is to serve as the base for the construction and operation of thousands of wind turbines on the sandbank.
According to an assessment by project partners, facilities with a total capacity of 70 to 100 gigawatts could be linked to the island. With strong wind they would be able to supply up to a hundred million households with electricity, say the companies.
Since the island shall be linked at several spots with the networks of neighbouring North Sea states, it could also become a hub for European electricity trading. Surpluses and deficits in the respective energy systems can be better offset as a result.
"Absolutely determined"
“We are absolutely determined to build the island”, emphasises TenneT spokesman Mathias Fischer. But for the time being, the framework conditions must be reviewed and open questions clarified. Now the partners are conducting a feasibility analysis to this end.
“If they arrive at a positive result, we will get started at full speed”, explains Fischer. In the process, several islands could be built on the sandbank if required. According to an assessment by Energinet.dk, it would be possible to complete the first island by about 2035.
In addition to the logistics infrastructure, the island shall also accommodate the converter stations which collect the generated wind energy. They convert energy into direct current and conduct it to land via a submarine cable. With existing offshore wind farms these stations rest on massive stilts between the wind turbines.
"Just as simple as on the mainland"
Converter stations today weigh up to 20,000 tonnes. Their installation is very elaborate. An expensive special ship is required to lift such loads”, says Andreas Wagner, Managing Director of the German Offshore wind Energy Foundation. "With an artificial island, however, the installation would be almost as simple as on the mainland. That reduces the costs significantly."