PRESS RELEASE:
Strong board leads Baltic Energy Island
The Bornholm business flagship, Baltic Energy Island, has now been established as a foundation and has appointed its first board with broad representation of both national and local stakeholders. Claus M. Andersen, CEO of Bornholms Energi & Forsyning, has been appointed as chairman, while Søren Scherfig, Ørsted’s country manager for offshore wind in Denmark, has been appointed as vice chairman.
The Baltic Energy Island Foundation will develop Bornholm into Europe’s leading hub for testing and implementing energy technologies and systems, based on the Energy Island Bornholm. The foundation will work to ensure that the significant investments in Energy Island Bornholm contribute to technology and business development for the benefit of both Bornholm and Denmark, and that new solutions and models are developed that can serve as examples for energy islands worldwide.
“Energy islands represent a technological breakthrough; it is the 3rd generation of wind energy, and just as Denmark was a world leader in onshore wind and then offshore wind, we can also become leaders in energy islands. With Baltic Energy Island, we aim to create a platform where companies, universities, and authorities can come together and learn from the experiences of Energy Island Bornholm and develop solutions that make energy islands an international success,” says Claus M. Andersen, CEO of Bornholms Energi & Forsyning and newly elected chairman of Baltic Energy Island.
Søren Scherfig, Ørsted’s country manager for offshore wind in Denmark and newly elected vice chairman, also sees exciting prospects in Baltic Energy Island: “Bornholm is strategically well positioned to become a hub for electricity and hydrogen production in the Baltic Sea, where universities, energy companies, and other businesses can simultaneously test new energy technological solutions. The opportunities for technology development combined with Bornholm’s strategic location and its upcoming status as one of the world’s first energy islands can create unique development opportunities that I look forward to being a part of.”
Already on May 16, Baltic Energy Island will host the international conference ‘Baltic Energy Island Summit 2023,’ which will bring together companies, universities, and authorities from Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic countries. The day before, on May 15, an exhibition on energy islands will open at Rønne’s historical and protected power plant. The conference and exhibition are the first concrete initiatives to gather professionals for dialogue and development activities on energy island technologies and associated business development.
In addition to Claus M. Andersen and Søren Scherfig, the board of Baltic Energy Island includes Jacob Trøst, Mayor of Bornholms Regionskommune; Charlotte B. Jepsen, Managing Partner, CIP Foundation; Lars Nordahl Lemvigh, CEO, Rønne Havn; Jacob Østergaard, Professor and Division Chief, DTU; Per Hessellund Lauritsen, Offshore Research Manager, Siemens Gamesa; and Claus Duevang, Board Member of Offshore Center Bornholm and CEO of KH Maskinfabrik. The daily operations of the foundation are managed by acting director Søren Møller Christensen.
For further information about Baltic Energy Island (www.balticenergyisland.com), please contact:
- Claus M. Andersen, Chairman of Baltic Energy Island: +45 2723 1533
- Søren Scherfig, Vice Chairman, Country Manager for Ørsted: +45 9955 7982
- Søren Møller Christensen, Acting Director, Baltic Energy Island: +45 2572 1482
