The Danish North Sea energy island is a bold and visionary ambition for developing renewable energy at an unprecedented scale and a step change in delivering on Denmark's and the EU's carbon emission reduction targets.
Constructing the world's first artificial energy island will require collaboration between highly specialised companies with proven track-records within renewable energy development and complex offshore construction.
That's why Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, and ATP, Denmark's largest institutional investor, are now bringing in three world-leading industrial construction experts to support Ørsted and ATP's bid for the North Sea energy island: Aarsleff, Bouygues, and Van Oord.
The three companies bring extensive design and engineering competences as well as vast experience from complex offshore construction projects around the globe. With these partners on board, the Ørsted-ATP consortium has laid the foundation for a successful delivery of the North Sea energy island which will be a hub for renewable energy, create local jobs, and further strengthen Denmark's strong position as an exporter of renewable energy solutions.
Aarsleff, the Danish specialist in large-scale projects within infrastructure, climate change adaption, and energy, will be leading the construction work. The company was a key construction partner at the Oresund Link that connects Denmark and Sweden, has led several harbor expansion projects in the Nordics, including the ports of Skagen, Frederikshavn, and Stockholm, and has installed 600 foundations for offshore wind turbines at Horns Rev 2 and London Array Offshore Wind Farm, among others. Aarsleff has a long track-record of working in the North Sea, employs 7,200 people, and is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark.
Bouygues Travaux Publics, an affiliate of Bouygues Construction, the leader in sustainable construction with 58,700 employees and operations in 60 countries. Bouygues bring in world-leading expertise in designing, building and operating large scale offshore constructions, such as bridges, tunnels, and land reclamations. Bouygues has also constructed many complex and record-breaking projects, including the Monaco Offshore Extension and Paris' first zero-carbon district. Bouygues is headquartered in Paris, France.
Van Oord employs 5,000 people and focuses on dredging, land-reclamation and offshore wind. The company has constructed the Palm Jumeirah and many other artificial islands and has decades of experience in installation of offshore wind turbines, foundations, and cables. Van Oord has worked with Ørsted on offshore projects in several countries across the globe and is headquartered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Rasmus Errboe, Head of Continental Europe at Ørsted, says, "Ørsted has 30 years of experience in working with highly specialised engineering companies in offshore wind. Aarsleff, Bouygues and Van Oord comprise the strongest possible team to support our bid for the Danish North Sea energy island. We are prepared to accelerate the green transition in a new and innovative way which will contribute to the transformation of the Danish energy system and benefit the Danish society whilst providing green solutions for Denmark and our European neighbours. We have selected these world-class suppliers based on their outstanding credentials within sustainability and innovation to make sure that the energy island is constructed with respect for the unique environment in the North Sea and with the highest degree of technical and commercial competences."
On behalf of the contractors of the consortium, Jesper Kristian Jacobsen, CEO of Per Aarsleff A/S, says, "The establishment of an energy island in the North Sea is an innovative and groundbreaking project and an important step towards contributing to solving the climate challenges. The complementary expertise of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Van Oord, and Aarsleff within offshore work will make up a strong partnership, and we look forward to contributing to the project together with Ørsted and ATP."
The North Sea Energy island is expected to be tendered in 2023 where Ørsted and ATP intend to submit a bid.
