As a first-mover in offshore wind energy, Denmark pioneered the market by installing the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991. Nowadays, the Danish value chain covers a wide range of technologies and services aimed at all phases of offshore wind energy projects. Every link in the offshore supply chain is represented in Denmark from turbine production, substructures, logistics, investment, development, installation and servicing.
Based on this, India and Denmark have exchanged knowledge and experiences on the offshore wind sector and how to accelerate the offshore wind supply chain deployment in India.
In 2018, the former Secretary Anand Kumar from the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy headed a delegation to Denmark to experience first-hand the development of offshore wind in Denmark and hold the first Joint Working Group meeting on Renewable Energy between India and Denmark.
During the visit, Secretary Kumar had the opportunity to visit the offshore wind park Horns Rev 2 as well as the port of Esbjerg to experience the necessary supply chain conditions to support the offshore wind sector. The port of Esbjerg has a leading position – in Europe and in the world – as an originating port for wind power. About 80% of the offshore wind capacity installed in Europe today was shipped from Esbjerg.
”I am extremely pleased to witness first-hand the impressive development of onshore and offshore wind by Denmark; which is rightly acknowledged as a global leader in this sector. I had the opportunity to visit Horns Rev 2 offshore wind park and was struck by the rapid technological developments in wind turbines and its enhanced efficiency”, said secretary Anand Kumar.
In November 2019, Danish Energy Agency hosted the Intergovernmental Forum during Wind Europe – the world’s biggest conference on offshore wind – that was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Intergovernmental Forum is a recurring forum for government officials working with framework conditions for the offshore wind technology.
Together with the Indian delegation, government officials from all over the world participated in the Intergovernmental Forum to discuss the business case of offshore wind, the ability to mobilize international finance, and to further improve the investment climate. This included a delegation of Indian officials that engaged in policy discussion and experience on best practices and how to reduce risk for the development of offshore wind and associated needs for supply chain infrastructure. When the risks are reduced, so is the cost of energy. As the Director General of the Danish Energy Agency, Mr Kristoffer Böttzauw, noted during the conference:
“Innovation of framework conditions are extremely important to reduce risk and lower the cost from the offshore wind technology. The framework conditions are key to the attractiveness and bankability of offshore wind projects. It is of great interest for the offshore wind industry that countries are aligned in their approach to approving projects. When governments develop similar framework conditions it optimizes the process for the project developers, and hence increases the competitiveness.”