The Femern connection has for years been the region's largest infrastructure project and attracted all political and public attention. But another equally important development, which is at least as significant, is the green transition. In Lolland-Falster and South Zealand, the transition has been underway for decades, but now the pace, scale, and complexity are at a whole new level.
Already in the 1990s, the first large wind turbines rose on Lolland, and since then the region has been among the most productive in Denmark. Lolland, Vordingborg, and Guldborgsund municipalities today produce far more electricity than they use themselves. Experiments with hydrogen, early biogas plants, and energy storage have provided experience that places the area as an energy laboratory for the rest of the country.
The experience with wind and biogas has not only been about technology but also about business. Agriculture became part of the energy system early on and showed that green transition can be economically sustainable. It is no coincidence. Agriculture has always adapted to conditions and found new ways to generate returns. Biogas plants like the one at Abed, where beet waste and livestock manure are turned into gas for the sugar factories, show how energy and food production have merged into one system.
Banks and municipalities drive development
The banks have actively engaged in the transition. Lollands Bank offers financing for energy projects in collaboration with Totalkredit, and SJF Bank has established Impagt Invest Sjælland together with Andel. At Sydbank, there is a goal to finance green transition for 10 billion kroner by 2027. When banks invest directly in technologies and advise farmers on energy projects, they not only create loans - they create markets and competencies.
The municipalities also play a crucial role. Local plans in Lolland, Guldborgsund and Vordingborg have paved the way for solar cells and biogas, and the strategies refer to energy projects as business development, not just climate policy. The power-to-x plans in Nakskov and Arcadia eFuels’ facility in Vordingborg are examples of how municipalities actively work to attract investments that can anchor new industry locally.
Economic shifts and global competition
The green transition draws billions to the region, but capital has its own logic. When Andel ties up 3 billion kroner in Ørsted shares to maintain its ownership stake, it strengthens the long-term position but reduces funds for new projects in the short term. Here, the competition is tough, and the purchase of the Ørsted shares means, in the worst case, that there is no financing for the large solar park at Grænge.
And while capital and projects await, the pressure on infrastructure is growing. A new power grid for South Zealand, Lolland, and Falster has now been approved as part of the political agreement on faster expansion of the power grid. The project has a budget of five billion kroner and aims to ensure that the grid can keep up with the increasing production of green electricity from solar and wind. It will extend from Køge to Eskilstrup on North Falster and Nørre Radsted on Lolland. Construction work is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed in 2033.
But the timeline shows how difficult it is to get the infrastructure to match the ambitions. Today, four out of five energy projects in Denmark are delayed, and without new connections, the region risks becoming a place where green energy is produced faster than it can be used. It is a bottleneck that not only affects investors - but the entire idea of Lolland-Falster as a green frontrunner.
Resistance from the population
Locally, the energy plans are meeting increasing resistance. Citizen groups point out that large solar parks spoil the landscape, depress house prices, and harm tourism.
The municipalities are thus caught in a cross-pressure: the state expects more production, investors are pushing, but citizens demand consideration for nature and local communities. This has already led to pauses in projects and new discussions about location, compensation, and local benefits. Which is poison for investors.
Local elections as a litmus test
In Guldborgsund Municipality, there is currently no majority in favour of setting up new wind turbines. It is a local decision with far-reaching consequences. Without wind, the balance in the energy system can tip, and the region risks becoming too reliant on solar and biogas. The question is whether the opposition will also spread to these technologies.
The upcoming local elections could therefore become a kind of referendum on the green course. Candidates will need to consider how energy projects affect landscapes, house prices, and local communities - and at the same time, how municipalities can maintain their role as green frontrunners.
If voters send a signal to stop large projects, it could halt investments that are already planned. And it could put the region's position as a green pioneering area under pressure. Conversely, a clear mandate for the transition could give politicians the strength to hold firm, even when the opposition is loud.
Considerations, investors, and overtime
The green transition is not a new chapter - but a continuation. The region has been at the forefront for decades, but now it faces a bigger test: combining local considerations, global investors, and an electricity grid on overtime.
The Fehmarn connection is meant to link the region with Europe. But it is energy that must keep the wheels turning. Biogas, solar panels, and power-to-x are not just climate policy - they are business models and a matter of survival. For without electricity and green energy, companies will look elsewhere.
The green transition has therefore become Lolland-Falster's and South Zealand's next big battle. Not just for the climate, but for jobs, investments, and identity.
