The energy island Bornholm is becoming too expensive, and therefore the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) is withdrawing from the climate agreement on offshore wind. The Danish People’s Party is now withdrawing from the agreement behind the Energy Island Bornholm with the argument that the offshore wind project is becoming too expensive for taxpayers. This is reported by DR, Denmark’s national broadcasting corporation. “I believe that this kind of climate policy, where there is almost no limit to how many taxpayer money you can spend in the name of climate, is completely irresponsible,” says chairman Morten Messerschmidt to DR.
The Energy Island Bornholm project was adopted in the Danish Parliament in 2020 as a major climate agreement. In this agreement, where the Danish People’s Party was originally involved, nine parties agreed that an extensive offshore wind farm with a capacity of three gigawatts of electricity – equivalent to the annual consumption of 3.3 million Danish households – should be built. It is also planned to establish a power connection to Germany, so that Denmark can sell the electricity production to neighboring countries. The project has been criticized for being costly for the economy. In the agreement, it is a premise that the energy island off the coast of Bornholm should be supported with 17.6 billion public Danish kroner. The support need could be significantly higher or lower – ranging from 12 to 58 billion Danish kroner depending on the electricity price, according to DR based on a note from the Danish Energy Agency.
Climate Minister Lars Aagaard (M) responds to the Danish People’s Party that the support need is not a new surprise. “There is not a single new figure in what the Danish People’s Party brings up. It has been clear from the start that there are different assessments of the economics of Energy Island Bornholm,” he tells DR and continues: “In the agreement group, we have decided to support with 17.6 billion Danish kroner, and if it turns out that the need is greater, we will of course discuss it. But apparently without the Danish People’s Party.” The message comes in connection with a new course for the Danish People’s Party. The party announced over the weekend that they plan to withdraw from the agreement behind the entire climate law if the expected CO2 tax on agriculture costs jobs. The climate law sets the framework for climate policy in Denmark and includes the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent by 2030.