DEA sanctions Lillebaelt South wind farm offshore Denmark

The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has given Lillebælt Vind the go-ahead to construct the Lillebælt South offshore wind farm and the associated internal power lines and landfall cables.

The development involves installation of 11 x 256-m tall offshore wind turbines on monopiles with a combined capacity of 165 MW. They will be positioned in the "Little" Belt between Als and Helnæs on the island of Funen, 3 km offshore Als and off the southeast coast of Jutland.

Lillebælt Vind is owned by European Energy and SONFOR Holding.

One condition of the approval is that the wind turbines must stop or rotate slowly after sunset between April 1 and Oct. 31, when the wind blows below 6 m/s. To safeguard bats in the area, there is also a requirement for a built-in cut-in-speed function.

In addition, since the area is important for porpoises in the Belt Sea, driving of monopiles can only take place in between August and October, when porpoise activity is typically at its lowest.

Finally, the DEA has stipulated that the operator must set up monitoring equipment to provide feedback on the impact of offshore wind turbines on the marine environment.