The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has extended the production permits for the Nysted and Middelgrunden offshore wind farms, enabling the projects to continue producing electricity for 10 and 25 more years, respectively.
These are two of the oldest offshore wind farms in Denmark, now granted an extended lifespan.
Middelgrunden was originally granted a production permit in 2000, followed by Nysted three years later.
To support its decisions, DEA required, among other things, an independent analysis of the remaining lifespan of the installations. In addition, the owners must perform extended annual maintenance inspections.
Nysted Offshore Wind Farm is owned by Ørsted, PensionDanmark, and Stadtwerke Lübeck. It consists of 70 turbines with a production capacity of 161 MW, enough to cover the electricity needs of more than 130,000 households.
Middelgrunden, owned by HOFOR and the Middelgrunden Wind Cooperative, is located just 3.5 km off Copenhagen near the Trekroner Fort and has become a familiar part of the cityscape for residents of Copenhagen and North Zealand. Its 20 turbines can supply approximately 20,000 households with green electricity annually.
“It’s positive that wind turbines over 20 years old are getting the opportunity to continue producing green electricity for many more years. This primarily benefits the green transition, but it's also a sustainable use of resources that the facilities can continue operating safely and responsibly for a longer period,” said Stig Uffe Pedersen, Deputy Director of the Danish Energy Agency.
Earlier in June, DEA also approved a 10-year extension for the Samsø offshore wind farm’s electricity production permit.