A new nationwide analysis from Rambøll shows that municipalities with massive expansion of renewable energy and Power-to-X are set to achieve significant economic gains in the coming years. Lolland is among the municipalities that, according to the report, have the greatest potential.
The analysis documents that renewable energy projects create economy layer by layer. Rambøll calculates that each gigawatt of solar energy provides around 900 million DKK in value added and up to 1,800 man-years in construction and operation. PtX facilities have even greater economic effects and can over time attract a cluster of new businesses to the local area.
Lolland among Denmark's most important energy municipalities
Rambøll points to a small group of municipalities that produce far more green electricity than they themselves use. Lolland is one of them. The municipality's energy profile means that the area has special conditions for attracting new energy and technology companies, because access to local green electricity becomes a crucial competitive parameter for the industry.
According to Rambøll, the expansion of renewable energy not only provides construction activity. It strengthens subcontractors, service companies, the transport sector and technical environments, and it can in the long term change a municipality's economic structure.
PtX plant in Nakskov planned
The plans for a large Power-to-X plant in Nakskov are part of this context. European Energy has purchased land at Stensø and is planning a plant that will produce e-methanol based on green electricity. PtX projects have a very high electricity consumption, and Rambøll points out that energy-intensive plants are typically located in municipalities where there is both existing and planned renewable energy production.
On Lolland, the planned renewable energy expansion and the PtX project are therefore closely linked. Solar projects, wind capacity, and the possibility of establishing additional plants are crucial for whether large energy-consuming companies choose to locate in the municipality.
Renewable energy expansion can boost the local economy
The analysis concludes that municipalities with low tax revenues have particularly much to gain by expanding energy capacity. This is because renewable energy and PtX create both direct jobs and long-term structural effects such as new skills, educational needs, business symbioses, and an increased tax base.
Rambøll therefore highlights Lolland as one of the municipalities where the effects of new energy projects can be greatest both economically and commercially.
