The data centre near Nørre Alslev does not necessarily need access to its full planned power demand from day one.
Restricted access to the electricity grid could be a way forward, says Mikkel Wesselhoff, CEO of Business Lolland-Falster. The crucial issue is whether the investor is given clear conditions for building and operating the facility.
- We do not yet know the specific terms. Energinet has said that the answers will come later in November, and that is what we are waiting for. Restricted grid access could be a viable solution if the conditions are predictable and provide a basis that a long-term investor can calculate with, he says.
A question of conditions
GARBE Data Centers is behind the plans for the data centre, which is expected to require up to 350 MW of power when fully developed. Energinet has warned that it looks difficult to give new data centres full access to the electricity grid, and one option could therefore be agreements under which electricity consumption is restricted during certain periods.
According to Wesselhoff, Business Lolland-Falster is in ongoing and close dialogue with GARBE. He will not comment on the substance of those discussions, but the project is already designed to grow over several years. That creates an opportunity to begin with less capacity.
- From the outset, the project has been conceived as a campus that will be expanded in stages over a number of years, and that makes it possible to adapt the build-out to the capacity that can be made available. But GARBE must assess what the specific conditions mean for the project, and that can only happen once the terms are on the table.
Wesselhoff is now calling for action on several fronts. In addition to the clarification expected in November, he wants the state and Energinet to accelerate the planned expansion of the electricity connection between Lolland-Falster and Zealand.
At the same time, the option of flexible grid access must be turned into agreements that companies can actually enter into.
- First, we need a clear and specific answer in November, including conditions and a timetable that an investment can be based on. Second, the new flexible connection models must be approved quickly and turned into a genuine offer, so that restricted grid access becomes a practical solution, he says.
