Danish utility Dong Energy has announced that it is to proceed with the development of the Horns Rev II offshore wind farm in the North Sea off Esbjerg. The new site will be situated to the north of the existing Horns Rev facility, and will require an investment of approximately DKK3.5 billion.
Dong Energy said that the wind farm’s anticipated installed capacity of approximately 200MW is expected to have an annual production of more than 800GWh, which corresponds to the electricity consumed by approximately 200,000 Danish homes. Construction of the wind farm is expected to begin in 2008, and it is hoped that the site will be commissioned in 2009.
Dong Energy also revealed that Novo Nordisk will make a significant contribution towards realizing the Horns Rev II site. The companies have signed an agreement through which Dong Energy will help the Danish pharmaceutical company to reduce its carbon footprint by supplying it with wind turbines that will generate the majority of the company’s power.
Dong Energy said that, as part of the partnership, Novo Nordisk has pledged to convert all of the energy savings realized at its Danish production sites into the purchase of green electricity for its production sites until 2020. The agreement will contribute to Novo Nordisk’s target of reducing its CO2 emissions by 10% by 2014, based on 2004 levels, and to use renewable energy at all production sites by 2014.
As an energy company we can contribute significantly towards reducing CO2 emissions not only through our own efforts to reduce emissions, but also by helping Danish companies realize their visions of taking on added responsibility for our future climate, said Lars Clausen, executive vice president of Dong Energy.
Dong Energy said that it hopes this commercial agreement will inspire other Danish companies to take up a higher degree of conversion to renewable energy supplies.