Denmark is showing the way ahead for climate protection in Europe. The nation’s center-left government decided at the end of last year, Danish CO2 emissions should fall 70% from their 1990 levels by 2030. Most of Denmark’s opposition parties have backed the idea.
To hit that target, the government is betting mainly on offshore wind but solar is also expected to grow significantly this decade. A good example of how that growth may materialize occurred this week when German green electricity producer Encavis and Danish project developer Greengo agreed to develop 500 MW of unsubsidized solar power projects in Denmark.
The plan envisages Encavis taking on projects at an early stage and financing them up to grid connection as the two partners work on development and construction.
Planning approval and a building permit have already been secured for a large PV plant in Ringkøbing Skjern, on the west coast of Jutland, with construction slated to start this year.
Promise
“We know Denmark very well already from our growing wind portfolio, so adding solar to the mix at this scale makes perfect sense,” said Encavis CEO Dierk Paskert. The German renewables company this year announced plans to double its generation capacity from 1.7 GW at the end of last year to 3.4 GW by 2026.
Greengo claims to have a 2 GW development pipeline of more than 70 Danish solar projects. “Denmark is probably one of the most interesting solar markets these days,” said Greengo CEO Karsten Nielsen. “The ambitious 70%, 2030 goal will help accelerate the energy transition and it will create a massive demand for electricity.”
Denmark already has subsidy-free solar projects under development, including a 400 MW scheme near the Nissum Fjord in the west of the country and a 125 MW project under development by Better Energy. The latter facility is expected to supply power to Danish clothing company Bestseller under a power purchase agreement. Better Energy said in May, that project would be the first subsidy-free plant in Denmark, and the largest by generation capacity.
