09/07/2026 03:58 - Internacionales
Denmark is preparing to revolutionize the European energy landscape with an unprecedented mega-project: the construction of an artificial island in the heart of the North Sea, about 80 kilometers off the Jutland Peninsula. To understand the scale, this is similar to building a massive offshore platform near the coast of New York or London. This infrastructure, designed to collect and distribute electricity generated by hundreds of offshore wind turbines, is shaping up to be one of the most significant engineering works in Danish history.
According to the Danish Energy Agency, the plan includes an initial capacity of 3 GW (gigawatts), expandable to 10 GW by 2040. To put this in perspective, 1 gigawatt can power roughly 700,000 homes, meaning the island could supply approximately 10 million European households with renewable energy. The earliest date for the infrastructure to be operational is 2036, a shift from initial timelines that projected the first phase for 2033.
The project consists of an energy platform of at least 120,000 square meters, an area comparable to 18 soccer fields. It will be connected via a network of high-voltage submarine cables to Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, functioning as a massive offshore power plant.
Green hydrogen is obtained by splitting water into its components (hydrogen and oxygen) using renewable electricity, in a process called electrolysis. Unlike conventional hydrogen, which is usually derived from fossil fuels, green hydrogen emits no greenhouse gases during its production, making it a promising alternative to clean up sectors that are difficult to electrify directly.
The budget is one of the project's main obstacles. The total cost exceeds 210 billion Danish kroner, equivalent to between 28 and 30 billion euros. Of this amount:
| Component | Investment (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Island and port construction | 10 billion euros |
| Wind farms and interconnections | 18-20 billion euros |
| Estimated cost overrun | 6.7 billion euros |
The cost overrun would be around 50 billion Danish kroner (about 6.7 billion euros) compared to initial estimates, reflecting the technical and economic challenges of a construction of this magnitude.
If the island reaches its planned capacity, it could prevent the emission of up to 20 million tons of CO2 per year, according to the science outreach media Geopop.it.
To mitigate the impact on the marine ecosystem, the project includes:
The initiative is part of the European Green Deal, promoted by the European Commission since 2019 under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen. This plan aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
The project has the backing of countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands, and represents a new era in the energy sector, according to the Danish Energy Agency.
Sources: Infobae, La Nación and Radio Mitre
Alfredo S. Quiroga
