Bornholm is a green energy island -

Bornholm goals

Based on UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, local politicians, business representatives, and citizens have in correlation developed 8 Bornholm goals for sustainable development.

In particular, three ambitious goals helped put Bornholm on the map:

• Carbon neutral energy production in 2025
• 0-emission (fossil-free) in 2040
• All waste must be recycled or reused by 2032

Past, progress, possibilities

In this article, you can read about three, out of eight, of the Bornholm goals and about the Energy Island Bornholm and its potential. You can read about the succeeded initiatives, how we plan to reach our goals and how the Energy Island of Bornholm can be a frontrunner for green conversion and development.

Carbon neutral energy production

In 2008, the goal for carbon-neutral energy production in 2025 was set. The focus area has, among other things, been the EcoGrid EU, a development of the electricity grid that allows the handling of a more significant amount of renewable energy.
Read more about EcoGrid EU here.

Bornholm is honoured for sustainable initiatives

Bornholm has worked on sustainable development for many years and has received several awards and distinctions for its efforts. Below you can read a description of several of them:

Sustaina100-list
Back in 2012, Bornholm became part of The Global Sustaina 100-list, the top 100 list of innovative solutions from all over the globe, working towards a cleaner and greener future. Bornholm is mentioned on the Sustaina100 list for the development of EcoGrid EU.

Sustainable Energy Award
In 2016, EcoGrid EU, selected from 200 projects, won the prestigious EU Sustainable Energy Award (EUSEW16). The project received an award for the most remarkable and innovative energy project in the category: Consumers.

EU’s RESponsible Island Price
In 2019, Bornholm, out of 2,000 candidates, won first place in the EU’s RESponsible Island Award. The Bright Green Island vision, collective ownership, and community involvement have been crucial in receiving first place. Read more about Clean Energy for EU Islands here.

100% renewable energy

Today, during regular operation, all district heating and electricity production are 100 % based on renewable energy – including wind, solar, biogas, wood chips, and wheat straw. The production covers over 60% of the consumption, and the rest we receive through a submarine cable from Sweden.

By 2025, the goal is that all the consumption of Bornholm must be covered by energy from renewable energy sources produced on Bornholm. This is done, by expanding the production of green energy, such as establishing additional wind farms. Read more about the initiatives here.

Follow the real-time updated graph of Bornholm’s electricity systems production and consumption here.

0-emission – fossil-free

Bornholm strives to be fossil-free by 2040. This means that local efforts are being made to reduce the total emission of CO2 and other sources of pollution through changed behaviour in production and consumption. E.g., by conversion to district heating and an increased effort in the transportation area –to name a few, read much more about initiatives and the focus area here. (Presentation in Danish)

Bornholm – The world’s first energy island

Due to Bornholm’s location in the Baltic Sea, it is possible to isolate the electricity supply from other electric grids, which provides a more accurate data basis.
In addition, Bornholm functions as a complete “mini-community” with its hospital, workplaces, houses, schools and more, making it attractive to do a full-scale experiment.
This means that Bornholm is the perfect test island for green development.
Read more about Bornholm as a test island here.

The Energy Island Bornholm project aims to make Bornholm a meeting point for green energy and development. Including the continuation of the supply of green energy, the possibility of Bornholm as a green refuel station for ships, and establishing a National Centre for Green Energy.

Continuation of the supply of green energy

The establishment of offshore wind farms 20 km south-southwest of Bornholm will in 2030 supply more than 2 GW of energy, corresponding to the consumption of 2 million households.

The energy from the offshore wind turbines will be collected on Bornholm and distributed in the electric grid to pass on to the rest of Denmark and the neighbouring countries. In addition, there is unexploited potential, as Bornholm is ideally located when it comes to the potential 93 GW of wind energy, which is in the Baltic Sea according to the EU. Read more about the potential of Bornholm here. (Presentation in Danish)

Green refuelling station

In the long run, Bornholm could become a green refuelling station to the sixty thousand ships that pass Bornholm annually. With the Power-to-X technology, it is possible to convert green energy into green fuel, which will make it possible to implement green fuels in ships, trucks, tractors, etc. Read more about Bornholm’s potential here. (Presentation in Danish)

National Center for Green Energy

Danmarks Erhvervsfremmebestyrelse has announced that they will provide 27.2 million. DKK in financial support for Bornholm to become a national hub for knowledge regarding green energy. With the establishment of a National Center for Green Energy, Bornholm will be a place for knowledge, development, education and innovation of green solutions. The Innovation House will include a Residential College, where students from DTU (Denmarks technical university), among others, can come to Bornholm and do research and fieldwork together with local, national and international partners. Read more about the establishment of the National Center here. (Article in Danish)

Bornholm is a green energy island

Bornholm's Regional Municipality's sustainable vision is called Bright Green Island.