Germany and Denmark conclude 3 GW Bornholm Energy Island offshore wind project

Germany and Denmark have agreed to invest in the joint Bornholm Energy Island offshore wind project in the Baltic Sea, described as the first cross-border project of its kind. The agreement, signed by German energy minister Katherina Reiche and Danish energy minister Lars Aagaard at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, advances plans on a project that was initially announced in 2023. 

Part of the European Union’s Energy Highway initiative and supported by 645 million euros from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, the Bornholm Energy Island wind farm will link 3 gigawatts (GW) of electricity to the Danish and German national grids. The project aims to turn the Danish island of Bornholm into an electricity hub for offshore wind turbines producing power for up to three million households in both countries. As the first offshore wind project simultaneously financed by two countries it could act as a blueprint for future offshore wind cooperation across the EU, Germany's economy ministry said.

“Bornholm Energy Island is a flagship of European cooperation and a strategic project for our shared security,” said Reiche. “In a world of growing geopolitical tensions, Germany and Denmark are taking responsibility for Europe’s energy future. Cross-border projects like this reduce critical dependencies, strengthen our strategic autonomy, and make Europe more resilient to political and economic pressures.”

Aagaard added: “Bornholm Energy Island marks a new era of interconnectedness and shared energy security. Together, we are deepening the connection between our countries and demonstrating that large-scale cross-border projects are possible.”

Overseen by German and Danish transmission system operators 50Hertz and Energinet, the Bornholm Energy Island project has contracted Siemens Energy AG to supply four converter systems and other technical components and Denmark’s NKT to supply the cable system.