The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a new environmental assessment of the onshore facilities for Vattenfall’s 344MW Vesterhav Nord and Syd offshore wind farms off Denmark.
The assessments are required, after the existing permits were rejected by Denmark’s Environment and Food Appeals Board last year.
They are the first steps on the road to a new environmental permit, which is expected to be completed by the spring of next year, said Danish transmission system operator Energinet.
The environmental assessment contains two public consultation phases.
The first hearing, also called the idea phase, has already started and the second consultation, including an eight-week hearing, is expected to take place this winter.
The TSO said Vattenfall, which builds the wind farms and the connection of the power from the sea, only needs to install some filters at the new substation in Sondervig and a radar mast to ensure that the lights on the turbines can be off most of the night.
Energinet deputy director Marian Kaagh said: “It is of course a somewhat distinctive situation, because we have to apply for a new environmental permit for something that has already been built.
“But we naturally respect the board’s decision, and will make sure to document the project’s environmental impacts thoroughly.”