HOFOR preparing first Aflandshage supplier tender as development consent process gets underway

Danish utility company HOFOR is preparing to launch its first supplier tender for the Aflandshage offshore wind farm, a project that could power the production of sustainable fuels in the Greater Copenhagen area.

The project is currently undergoing the permitting process after HOFOR applied for an establishment permit with the Danish Energy Agency a little less than two months ago.

HOFOR intends to issue an invitation to tender for an onshore substation in the third quarter of this year.

The company plans to award an EPCI contract that would cover civil works concerning construction of the foundation for the substation, as well as supply of a SF6-free substation and key components.

Delivery and installation are expected in 2025.

The tender, which will be carried out as a competitive procedure with negotiation, is likely to be launched on or around 12 September via the qualification system Achilles Utilities NCE.

On 13 June, the Danish Energy Agency informed that it had approved the feasibility study report, including an environmental impact report, for the up to 300 MW Aflandshage offshore wind farm, planned to be built in the Øresund Strait.

The approval gave HOFOR the opportunity to proceed to the next steps in the application process, including applying for a permit to build the project, which the company did on 20 June.

Following the filing of the application, the Danish Energy Agency and Hvidovre Municipality launched public consultation on 12 July to give citizens, organisations, authorities, and others who may be affected by the project the opportunity to provide their feedback.

Once the consultation has been completed in September, the Danish Energy Agency will prepare a consultation memorandum, in which it will deal with whether the received consultation responses have consequences for the project. 

The Agency will then decide whether an establishment permit can be granted for the project for the offshore part and Hvidovere Municipality will decide whether a permit can be granted under the Environmental Assessment Act for the onshore part of the project. 

The Aflandshage offshore wind farm, located eight kilometres from the coast, will comprise between 26 and 45 wind turbines and will have a total installed capacity of up to 300 MW.

The project is planned to be connected to the grid at Avedøre Power Station, owned by Ørsted, who last year entered into an agreement with HOFOR to secure clean electricity from the offshore wind farm.

Under the agreement, Ørsted and HOFOR will work towards enabling Ørsted to offtake the power produced by the offshore wind farm for the production of sustainable fuels at its 1.3 GW Green Fuels for Denmark project, while HOFOR may place the Aflandshage onshore substation at the premises of Avedøre Power Station.

The offshore wind farm is planned to be linked to the grid at the existing 132 kV station via a new 33 or 66 kV / 132 kV transformer station.

According to information about the project published earlier, the power from HOFOR’s offshore wind farm could enable parts of Green Fuels for Denmark’s second phase of 250 MW and meet the power demand for the project’s first phase.

In addition to Green Fuels for Denmark, the agreement with Ørsted could potentially also cover the power demand of the electrolysis plant that will supply hydrogen to DFDS’s proposed hydrogen-powered ferry between Copenhagen and Oslo, if this project is realised.