As is well known, the Danish Parliament has decided to make Bornholm the world's first energy island. This offers the prospect of becoming a green hub and the status of an international energy lighthouse in the middle of the Baltic Sea, where there is a potential of up to 93 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind. As the first project of its kind, it will open new doors for Bornholm's business community.
Baltic Energy Island has been established to unlock this enormous potential. Søren Møller Christensen is the newly appointed acting director of the commercial foundation Baltic Energy Island, and he has no doubt about the project's potential.
”It is hard to overstate the importance that the various offshore projects could have for the business community on Bornholm,” he begins, and continues:
”The obvious opportunities are, of course, subcontracts in the major construction projects relating to the onshore facility, but also when potential PtX projects are to be constructed. In addition, there is Rønne Port's role as a shipping port for offshore wind turbines, and in future there will be a need for a so-called O&M port (Operation and Maintenance).”
Søren Møller Christensen explains that the work on gathering inspiration for the O&M port is well underway.
”A delegation from Bornholm recently visited Grimsby in England, where there is an O&M port that services 5 GW of wind power. It employs over 500 people – by comparison, we will get 6.9 GW if all fields are developed. The perspectives are, however, even broader. Rønne Harbour, together with a major partnership, is investigating the possibilities of establishing a Green Bunker Hub at Rønne Harbour to supply shipping in the Baltic Sea with green fuels. We will receive large amounts of green electricity. What will this mean for the development opportunities of Bornholm's businesses? And which new businesses can we attract? If we also get production of green fuels on Bornholm – PtX – another business sector opens up, where there will also be large amounts of surplus heat that can be used for district heating and commercially, for example, in horticulture. Finally, we have the opportunity to elevate Bornholm as a test island to a new level, because Bornholm is becoming the world's first energy island – new technology will be used and tested for the first time right here on Bornholm.”
In 15 years, it will be a completely different island commercially than it is today. We will see an island with new job functions, more residents, significantly increased innovation power and with new businesses arriving, as well as existing businesses emerging strengthened. This is going to help change the demographic trend in a positive direction, and thus it is a development that will greatly benefit our society.
High level of ambition
When it is a project that will be the first of its kind in the entire world, it is a matter of keeping your wits about you when local business life is to be accommodated and be right at the forefront. That will require a sharp effort from all involved Bornholm parties, but it is an effort that is well worth it.
That is explained by Christa Lodahl, Head of Business at Business Center Bornholm.
”It is a unique opportunity of a scale that an island like Bornholm will presumably only get once. Therefore, there are overall three elements that we need to succeed with. The development must be broad and for the benefit of the whole of Bornholm. Local business and industry must get a major boost out of it. In addition, we must be sharp on focusing on the opportunities that are here and now for Bornholm, but also the opportunities that will arise on the horizon. We simply must get the most possible out of the Energy Island, she says.
”At a local level, we must ensure that Bornholm gets the most out of this potential, both directly and indirectly, and furthermore, we are Denmark's spearhead for green technology development and the development of the energy system of the future while the whole world is watching. We have an obligation to enter into partnerships, share knowledge and experience so that together we can solve the major climate challenges we face internationally. There are major national players in the partner group behind Baltic Energy Island, but it is also important to have players who understand how to extract the maximum possible value from these potentials for the benefit of the Bornholm community. It is therefore also a core task for Business Center Bornholm to help equip the local business community to be able to bid for the long series of tasks and opportunities that are now arising at the same time as we must transform our energy systems. We simply must have a very high level of ambition in our approach to the opportunities ahead of us.”
There are three projects: Energy Island Bornholm by the Danish Energy Agency 3.2 GW + possibility of overplanting of 0.6 GW, Bornholm Basin East by CIP / Ørsted at 3.0 GW, Bornholm Offshore Wind at 100 MW. A total of up to 6.9 GW. 6.9 GW corresponds to the electricity consumption of approximately 7 million households. There are approx. 2.8 million households in Denmark and approximately 20,000 households on Bornholm
The dream is to be realised
There simply isn't any room for resting on one's laurels and expecting the good opportunities to realise themselves, says Søren Møller Christensen.
”Conversely – if we do nothing – we risk that the whole adventure ends with a few subcontracts for construction tasks and the operation of a PtX plant. We therefore need, together – politicians, businesses, and citizens – to discuss what we want to do with the opportunities that are before us, he says and elaborates:
”It can be a driver for both Bornholm's business and societal development – and for the educational sector. However, this requires that we on Bornholm decide that we want to get the most out of Energy Island Bornholm and the new projects east of Bornholm. We must work to make Bornholm the green filling station of the Baltic Sea, we must be a service port for the wind turbines, and we must initiate planning so that there is space for new green businesses that want to locate on Bornholm due to large amounts of green electricity and surplus heat. And we must ensure that the coming years” major international attention and interest from researchers are translated into educational programmes on Bornholm and innovation in our businesses.”
The development we are facing makes me think of Stavanger and the TV series State of Happiness. In State of Happiness, we follow a handful of young people and their families in the years following the discovery of the Ekofisk oil field in 1969. Stavanger – a small, remote community that had lived off fishing – became the centre of enormous amounts of energy. This transformed Stavanger and brought jobs, welfare, construction and societal changes with it. Oil and green electricity from wind turbines are not the same thing, but apart from that, the parallels are obvious. Two remote communities that become the centre of an energy and new technologies coveted by the whole world. The question is what we as a society will do with the opportunities that lie before us in the coming years.
Three quick questions for Søren Møller Christensen
What are the prospects for the project on Bornholm looking 15 years ahead?
The energy island can become the engine for the vision of reaching 42,000 inhabitants on Bornholm. If we seize the development in the right way, many jobs will follow, and with jobs come tax revenue, but also families and thus a need for day-care facilities, schools and all the other welfare services.
Will it open international doors?
The international doors are already wide open, and guests are coming here to hear about the world's first energy island. Many want to cooperate; other countries and municipalities want to build up knowledge about the green transition with us, and they want to copy the good ideas. International companies are also looking towards Bornholm because they want to bid for the upcoming wind farm sites.
Are there opportunities for spin-off companies?
Yes, to a large extent. With large amounts of green electricity, there will be the opportunity to establish energy-intensive businesses, and with surplus heat from PtX, there is the potential for, for example, nurseries, protein production and even an aqua park.