In her annual State of the Union speech to the European Parliament Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the urgent need for electrification. And in the report following the speech, Bornholm receives much more attention than the island’s size would normally warrant on this agenda. It is of course due to the Bornholm Energy Island project.
“In January, the Commission, alongside Denmark and Germany, achieved the first major milestone of the Energy Highways initiative with an agreement to develop offshore wind energy on the island of Bornholm.” (State of the Union, 2026)
The EU has supported the Bornholm Energy Island project with €645 million, as the Danish/German agreement will transform wind energy from a national resource into a shared European resource. This is why the project can show the way forward for other offshore energy hubs.
The center of gravity of the European agenda is Europe’s independence. By being the first of eight Energy Highways to be realized, the Bornholm Energy Island project is delivering on that agenda. The project accelerates the transition to clean, affordable and homegrown energy.
And it is not only leading to a strong economy. As Mario Draghi put it: a competitive economy is a prerequisite for our freedom to choose our own destiny. In that sense Bornholm is contributing to securing European freedom.
Our ambition at Baltic Energy Island is to make Bornholm Energy Island a test bed, a source of inspiration, and a learning platform. Together with our partners in the Energy Island Forum, we will develop the energy hubs of the future, using Rønne Old Power Plant as a place for academia, industry and politics to meet.
