EU: Mega-Wind farm offshore Denmark clears antitrust hurdle

The European Union’s antitrust chief said Tuesday that the bloc’s Executive Commission has approved Danish government subsidies for a large proposed offshore windfarm in the Danish section of the Baltic Sea.

EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the aid for the Kriegers Flak windfarm was in line with European Union guidelines because “it helps the EU to meet its energy and climate targets.”

The Commission said the support would be granted as a premium on top of the electricity price in the Nord-Pool market, Europe’s leading power market. The windfarm will be operated by Sweden’s public Vattenfall energy company.

The 600-turbine project will be Denmark’s largest offshore windfarm, and is expected to be operational by 2021. It will be connected to two German offshore windfarms, allowing for increased electricity exchanges between the two countries.

The Danish part of Kriegers Flak would cover 80 square kilometers (72 square miles), and the project is expected to produce enough electricity for about 600,000 households.

The EU wanted to check whether Danish state aid for the project would hurt competition.

Full Content: Europa Press

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