Danish power supply company HOFOR has put its Aflandshage offshore wind project on hold with the possibility of completely pulling the plug on the project.
HOFOR said that the project, which is projected to power 300,000 households with green electricity, will be abandoned unless it proves possible to continue the project in another form in the near future.
During 2023, HOFOR has prepared agreements with suppliers to build the Aflandshage wind farm. The preparation has taken place on the basis that establishment permission was granted for the project in November 2022, and the project is ready to be started. However, the establishment permit was withdrawn in July 2023 following complaints about the project.
“In the current situation, it has not been possible to obtain sufficient assurance that the Aflandshage windmill park will receive an establishment permit. Therefore, the investment is put on hold. And initiation of contracts cannot be communicated to our suppliers,” HOFOR explained.
The uncertainty about the necessary authority permits means that the Copenhagen Citizens’ Representation cannot provide the necessary guarantees for the project. As a result, HOFOR expects a write-down of around DKK 500m ($72m) in 2023.
The complaints regarding the project primarily concerned the counting of bats in the area. HOFOR noted that the results of the bat studies have no influence on the construction of the turbines and must only be used when the turbines come into operation. This means that there may be times when the turbines are stopped for the sake of bats. HOFOR will continue the ongoing counting of bats in the area, as this is a minimum requirement to regain an establishment permit.
The Aflandshage wind farm was designed to consist of 26 modern offshore wind turbines with a total height of up to 220 meters to the top of the blade.
