Danish company European Energy has confirmed it will drop plans for the wind project at Omø Syd (Omø South) amid criticism of unclear EU regulations
The Omø South offshore wind project has been more than 10 years in the planning and secured environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval in 2020, alongside a second project the Jammerland Bay offshore wind farm.
European Energy vice president and head of offshore wind, Andreas Karhula Lauridsen, posted on LinkedIn last week that the company “has decided to drop plans to establish our coastal offshore wind project Omø Syd in Smålandsfarvandet.”
On the same day, the company learned from the Danish Government that it plans to designate the same area as a Natura 2000 bird sanctuary, according to an update posted by Andreas Karhula Lauridsen, Vice President and Head of Offshore Wind at European Energy, according to a report on OffshoreWind.biz
Smålandsfarvandet is a small body of water in Denmark that connects Storebælt in the west with Storstrømmen and Guldborgsund in the east, serving as a waterway for coastal traffic, yachts, and other small craft. It is bordered by Zealand in the north and Falster and Lolland in the south.
“We have tried to get the project to fly, among other things, in coexistence with nature, but we have to note that authorities and politicians have not had much interest in this,” said Lauridsen.
“Since our feasibility study permit has a height limit of 200 meters and today’s offshore wind turbines have become 256 meters tall, it goes without saying that the project has no future.”
In February 2023, the Danish Energy Agency suspended the processing of 33 open-door offshore wind projects, including Omø South, until further clarification of EU law issues.
A month later, the agency resumed the assessment of four open-door schemes, including the 320 MW Omø South offshore wind project. The wind farm was planned to be developed in Småland water between Zealand and Lolland.
