The Danish Energy Agency is postponing commencing the tendering process for the North Sea Energy Island project by up to 12 months.
The decision has been made following a period of dialogue with the private sector, held in 2021.
As a result, the tendering procedure for the Danish energy island in the North Sea is postponed to mid-2023.
The additional time will be used for further tender preparations.
The agency estimates the delay will not impact the overall schedule.
DEA deputy director general responsible for energy islands, Mogens Hagelskær, said: “After consulting the market, we are convinced that we are investing wisely spending up to 12 more months on establishing a solid foundation to ensure that the energy island in the North Sea will be launched as a green flagship for future deployment of Danish offshore wind energy contributing to the green transition in Europe and globally.
“Developing clever concepts takes time, but there’ll be rewards in the long run.”
More than 20 private market actors and consortia have suggested innovative solutions in the market dialogues for how to best design the energy island in the North Sea and the business model to prepare the concept for the future, according to the Danish Energy Agency.
Government advisors have therefore assessed that there is a need for more time for further analysis of the market input, it stated.
Based on professional recommendations from the market and the government advisors, and within the framework of the political agreements, further work on the business model and technical concept of the energy island will now focus on a flexible island concept, said the agency.
This concept provides the possibility to combine the advantages of a reclaimed island and platforms but “without limiting the possibilities for integrated activities, such as power-to-x and room for manoeuvre on the island within the limits set by regulation and safety requirements”.