Infrastructure Investors Plan $163 Billion Energy Islands

By Tsvetana Paraskova - Jan 19, 2024

Denmark-based Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a major investor in offshore wind, said on Friday it is launching a new company to develop energy islands globally, with investments estimated at around $163 billion (150 billion euros).

CIP is launching Copenhagen Energy Islands (CEI), which is currently developing a portfolio of around 10 energy island projects around the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and South-East Asia to scale up and integrate offshore wind energy.

Each of the 10 energy islands is estimated to cost around $1.63 billion (1.5 billion euros), for a total investment of $163 billion in the ten projects, according to Bloomberg.

Copenhagen Energy Islands is an independent company majority-owned by CIP and a group of investors. The founding group includes Nordic, European, and North American investors with a track record of investments in renewable energy infrastructure, including PensionDanmark, PFA, SEB, and Andel.

Copenhagen Energy Islands believes that the artificial energy islands – large-scale offshore energy hubs – will enable the massive scaling required for the next generation of offshore wind deployment globally.

Offshore wind had a difficult 2023, with several projects scrapped and many delayed, due to cost escalation, rising interest rates, and supply chain and turbine quality issues.

According to the newly created company, energy islands address the three main challenges to the massive build-out of offshore wind: costs, rate of deployment, and grid constraints.

“Key value drivers include a substantial reduction in power transmission costs, large-scale offshore green hydrogen production and related synergies between power and hydrogen production,” Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners said in a statement.  

“Today, the challenge for offshore wind is less about building the incremental offshore wind farm, but more how to integrate large-scale offshore wind energy into the global energy systems,” said Jakob Baruël Poulsen, Managing Partner and founder of CIP.

“We see energy islands as a key tool in solving this challenge and realizing the ambitious offshore wind targets across the globe,” Poulsen added.