Horn Rev Offshore Windmill

In the summer months of 2002, Elsam constructed the world’s largest offshore wind farm at the Danish west coast. The wind farm is sited 14-20 km into the North Sea, west of Blåvands Huk, and represents the first phase of a large-scale Danish effort to produce non-polluting electricity from offshore wind turbines. With the Horns Rev project it will be possible to determine whether or not the Danish Government’s ambitious energy plan is feasible. According to the plan, wind turbines with a total capacity of 4000 MW must be established in Danish waters before 2030.

Historically, wind power capacity has been developed on land. But it has become increasingly difficult to obtain the required permits for turbine sites, and therefore alternatives are being considered. The interest has been particularly directed towards coastal areas with water depths of between 5 and 15 m and the possibility of locating the turbines so far away from the coast that they are visually neutral.
Wind power is a non-polluting source of energy, and it contributes significantly to minimization of CO2 emissions. Moreover, offshore wind turbines provide an added environmental benefit: the output from offshore installations is up to 50% higher than for comparable turbines on land.

In 1998, the Danish Ministry of the Environment and Energy required the electricity suppliers to construct five demonstration wind farms with a combined output of 750 MW. In 2002 the newly-elected Danish government reduced the Plan of Action for wind energy to include only two demonstration wind farms, those of Horns Rev and Rødsand of 160 MW and 158 MW respectively.

Elsam and Eltra, the independent transmission system operator in Jutland and on Funen, were ordered to build the offshore demonstration wind farm at Horns Rev in the North Sea. Elsam is the owner and is responsible for the operation of the wind farm. Eltra is responsible for the connection of the wind farm to the national onshore grid.

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