Orsted looks to Dubai land reclamation experts in shaping up 10GW offshore energy island

Offshore wind champion Orsted and Danish pension fund ATP are bringing in three world-leading industrial construction experts to support their joint bid for an artificial energy island in the North Sea.

The Danish Energy Agency has earlier said that it plans to start the tendering process for what will be the world’s first energy island next year, and likely announce the winning bid in early 2023.

The island at some 80km off Denmark’s Jutland peninsula is planned to initially be linked to 3GW of offshore wind capacity, which later is planned to be boosted to 10GW, with interconnections to multiple European countries.

“Orsted has 30 years of experience in working with highly specialised engineering companies in offshore wind,” said Rasmus Errboe, head of continental Europe at Orsted.

“Aarsleff, Bouygues and Van Oord comprise the strongest possible team to support our bid for the Danish North Sea energy island.

“We have selected these world-class suppliers based on their outstanding credentials within sustainability and innovation to make sure that the energy island is constructed with respect for the unique environment in the North Sea and with the highest degree of technical and commercial competences.”

All three companies already have extensive offshore infrastructure experience that includes port extensions, offshore wind construction, and land reclamation.

Aarsleff, a Danish specialist in large-scale infrastructure projects, climate change adaptation and energy, will be leading the construction work. The company was a key construction partner at the Oresund Link that connects Denmark and Sweden, has led several harbour expansion projects in the Nordics, and has installed 600 foundations for offshore wind turbines at Horns Rev 2 and London Array Offshore Wind Farm, among others.

Bouygues Travaux Publics, a unit of French construction firm Bouygues Construction, will bring in its expertise in designing, building and operating bridges, tunnels, and land reclamations. Bouygues has also constructed record-breaking projects such as the Monaco Offshore Extension, a six-hectare expansion of the city into the Mediterranean Sea.

Marine contractor Van Oord is specialized in dredging, land-reclamation and offshore wind. The company has constructed the Palm Jumeirah tourism island off Dubai nick-named the City of Gold - and many other artificial islands. The company also is a household name in the installation of offshore wind turbines, foundations, and cables, and has already worked with Orsted on several wind at sea projects across the globe.

”The establishment of an energy island in the North Sea is an innovative and groundbreaking project and an important step towards contributing to solving the climate challenges,” said Per Aarsleff chief executive Jesper Kristian Jacobsen.

“The complementary expertise of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Van Oord, and Aarsleff within offshore work will make up a strong partnership, and we look forward to contributing to the project together with Orsted and ATP.”