An industrial park near Rødbyhavn and a planned data centre just north of it could both require large amounts of electricity. But grid capacity is limited, and the planned expansion will take years.
The government now wants to speed up the construction of new grid infrastructure. A proposal presented on Monday is intended, among other things, to shorten environmental and planning procedures for major projects. The government estimates that some projects could be completed up to two years sooner.
- It is simply not good enough for the many different approvals required for grid projects to take up to ten years when we need the capacity now, Climate, Energy and Utilities Minister Samira Nawa says in a press release.
While the grid expansion is under way, Energinet will begin allocating available capacity under the new emergency package in November. This replaces the previous first-come, first-served system.
- On 1 October, the Danish Parliament adopted an emergency package for the electricity grid. The new rules determine who should be given priority for capacity and therefore for grid connection. In November, we will for the first time allocate capacity to local grid companies, businesses and others under the new rules, Energinet writes in a response to FemernBusiness.
Energinet is thus taking the next step after the pause on new allocations introduced in March. However, this does not determine when companies can physically be connected to the grid.
At the same time, the government’s proposal is intended to accelerate the actual expansion of the grid. The state will take greater responsibility for planning some major projects, while affected neighbours will be given better options for compensation and property acquisition.
The second stage of Nyt Elnet Sjælland, Lolland og Falster has already been selected for a faster environmental approval process. The proposal therefore does not mean that this particular connection will necessarily be completed earlier. Energinet’s current timetable has stages scheduled for 2029 and 2033.
Even with the expansions already approved, demand for capacity is expected to exceed the available room in the electricity grid, according to the government’s Climate Programme 2026. This is a nationwide assessment and does not indicate how much capacity will become available around Rødbyhavn.
For reasons of commercial confidentiality, Energinet will not disclose which companies have applied or how much capacity they are seeking. It therefore remains unclear what the November allocation will mean for the major projects around Rødbyhavn.
