The Danish Energy Agency approves the Plan for Thor Offshore Wind Farm
At the same time, the Danish Energy Agency has narrowed down the site for the wind farm from 440 km2 to 286 km2 as a result of the site-investigations.
Based on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Plan for Thor Offshore Wind Farm and the public consultation, the Danish Energy Agency concludes that the Plan for Thor can be realized in the dedicated site west of Thorsminde, and without significant impacts to the environment. At the same time, the Danish Energy Agency has narrowed down the site for the wind farm from 440 km2 to 286 km2 as a result of the site-investigations.
Pursuant to the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, the Danish Energy Agency has prepared astatement summarizing how environmental considerations have been integrated into the Plan for Thor Offshore Wind Farm.
The decision of approving the Plan for Thor Offshore Wind Farm is based on the SEA of the Plan for Thor Offshore Wind Farm and the public consultation. As part of the process, in the Spring of 2020 the public was involved in determining the content and level of detail of the environmental assessment. Results from this consultation are also included in the overall assessment.
The decision can be appealed to the Energy Board of Appeal for a 4-week period up to 28. June 2021.
The statement summarizing how environmental considerations have been integrated constitutes the first step in the environmental approval of Thor Offshore Wind Farm and sets, at the strategic level, the framework for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the specific project at sea. The EIA with public consultations must be carried out by the future concession owner, and will, together with the associated license for construction, constitute the final step in the overall environmental approval of Thor.
The result of the SEA process as well as the site-investigation and other considerations have led to the narrowing down of the site for Thor. The process of narrowing down the site has taken into account a number of factors, including visual impact, cumulative visual aspects, birds, stone reefs, raw materials, fishing interest and safety of navigation.
