Something is happening in Lolland, Falster, and South Zealand. New biogas plants are emerging, solar parks are covering more and more fields, and banks are ready with loans and advice. Farmers are establishing companies, entering energy collaborations, and rethinking production. It's still about making the land yield returns - but where it used to be grain and milk, it's now also electricity and gas.
It's a green transition, yes. But also something more familiar: The ability to adapt, understand the conditions, and find ways to make it work. This is something people here have been good at for many years. Not by thinking revolutionarily, but by using what's available - and finding the money where it is.
Biogas ties it together
A current example is the plant at Abed, where beet waste and livestock manure will be converted into gas. The gas will be used in sugar production in Nakskov and Nykøbing. The residual gas is sent out into the gas network. Behind the project are Nordic Sugar, local farmers, and investors, and it is all connected via Green Gas Lolland-Falster. Here, energy and food production are linked physically and economically.
Biogas differs from solar by being adjustable. It can be produced and used when needed. Therefore, it plays a special role in the overall system. It functions both as an energy source and as flexible support when the sun isn't shining. Additionally, it serves as a climate tool in itself because it reduces methane emissions from livestock manure.
The banks have joined in
The development is not only technical but also financial. Lollands Bank offers mortgage solutions for energy projects in collaboration with Totalkredit and has distinguished itself with local support for renewable energy. SJF Bank, formerly known as Sparekassen Sjælland-Fyn, has created the investment company Impagt Invest Sjælland in collaboration with the energy group Andel. The bank has, among other things, invested in technology suppliers and advises farmers on financing green transition.
When banks start investing in the technologies their customers need, it changes the rules of the game. It's not just about lending money but about creating markets and building competencies. It also means that more farmers find it easier to access advice and financing if they want to convert or expand.
The municipalities set the direction
The transition is also not just a matter of market conditions and private investments. Municipalities play a significant role, especially when it comes to planning and land use. In the municipalities of Guldborgsund, Lolland, and Vordingborg, a number of local plans and strategies have been adopted in recent years, making it possible to expand with solar panels and biogas plants.
All three municipalities highlight renewable energy as part of local business development - not just as climate policy. It is about attracting investments, utilising surplus land, and creating new sources of income in sparsely populated areas. The municipalities' role as planning authorities is crucial for the projects to be realised at all.
When municipal local plans allow for energy facilities in rural zones, it is a prerequisite for banks to lend and investors to dare to enter. Therefore, the interaction between the municipality, agriculture, and the financial system is a key factor in making the transition actually happen.
Landowners and estate owners are also part of the development. Near Nakskov, Carl-Johan von Rosen is behind Green X Energy - a circular business area in collaboration with Lolland Municipality and Business Lolland-Falster. Here, green production and shared resource utilisation aim to attract companies with climate ambitions.
Major players enter green production
It is not only individual farmers investing in energy facilities. Major players are also entering the green transition. Danish Agro, through its subsidiary ADA Green Energy, aims to become self-sufficient with green electricity. In Jutland, solar farms covering over 200 hectares and several new biogas plants are planned in collaboration with farmers.
Even though the investments are far from Lolland and Falster, they point to a broader trend: that agriculture is organising itself into companies, collaborating with the energy sector, and making energy production an integrated part of operations. However, ADA's latest financial statement shows that progress is slow. Permits, grid connection, and finances are slowing the pace.
The example shows that the green transition is not only about visions - but also about patience and the ability to navigate complex systems. Many in agriculture have been accustomed to this for a long time.
Energy changes ownership
Solar panels are the most visible sign of the transition, but ownership varies. Many installations are owned by external developers, while biogas projects are typically more locally rooted. Here, it is often the farmers themselves who own, supply, and consume. This creates a different form of influence and economic benefit. And it opens up for energy to become part of the overall enterprise, not just a land project.
The places where it succeeds in bringing together investments, collaboration, and raw materials are often the places where the pace is highest. And here, Lolland, Falster, Møn, and South Zealand have some special conditions. Large contiguous land areas, production industry, and local supply infrastructure make the area suitable for precisely those forms of energy that require space, biomass, and coordination.
The Sun Wins - But It May Cost the Balance
Even though the green transition is gaining momentum, it does not necessarily follow a balanced course. Nationwide, 15 times more solar energy is being planned compared to onshore wind - and locally, the difference is even more pronounced. In Lolland, Guldborgsund, and Vordingborg, over 1,000 megawatts of solar are planned, but no wind.
In Guldborgsund Municipality, this is not coincidental. According to Mayor Simon Hansen, there is no majority in the city council for new wind turbines. At the same time, resistance to solar panels is also beginning to grow. In these weeks, public meetings are being held about new projects, where several have expressed concerns about the landscape, land, and scale.
Professor Brian Vad Mathiesen from Aalborg University warns against the imbalance. Solar and biogas complement each other - but they alone cannot ensure supply security year-round. He also assesses that a large part of the planned solar projects will not be realised if the economy does not keep up.
It is a reminder that neither solar nor gas becomes a reality on its own. The green transition is shaped in local plans, budgets, and public meetings. Even in the municipalities where the most is happening, it does not occur without resistance, deselection, and prioritisation.
