Vattenfall has at last succeeded in finding a buyer for its development projects in Denmark. More than a year after the Swedish utility told EnergyWatch that it had started a process of offloading its onshore wind development projects and phasing out this portion of its Danish business, Eurowind has now pounced on the offer of taking over the 325MW portfolio of 74 turbines in 4 farms. The two parties are unwilling to disclose the purchase price.

"We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with Vattenfall on the four projects. We see all four projects contributing significantly to the green transition in Denmark. These are four solid projects that fit very well into our existing portfolio of projects in development," says Eurowind CEO Jens Rasmussen in a press release.

"Vattenfall has worked on these projects for a number of years, and we're looking forward to completing development and setting up the wind turbines."

The comment on Vattenfall multi-year development of the projects is no exaggeration. The four projects encompass Rejsby Hede, Hjelm Hede, Nørre Økse Sø and Nørrekær Enge II of 130 MW, which is the largest onshore wind farm in Denmark. The Swedish utility already announced its plans for Nørrekær Enge II as far back as 2014.

That Nørrekær Enge II is still considered a development project isn't due to dawdling on the part of Vattenfall. As early as 2018, the project was approved by local municipalities in Aalborg and Vesthimmerland, where the project will be set up. But in the end of 2020, local planning committees rescinded the environmental impact assessment with reference to inadequate risk calculation for pond bats.

While the appeals process is over for the project, which is short of an updated environmental impact, the other three projects are still being reviewed. At the end of 2018, the environmental impact assessment for the Nørre Økse Sø project was the subject of a complaint submitted to the Danish Environment and Food Board of Appeal. Though not yet settled, the case has no suspensive effect.

One of the other projects has also formerly been called the largest in the nation in the shape of 40 turbines that have comprised the Rejsby Hede wind farm since 1994. The plan is for these turbines to be replaced by 15 new ones. However, for many years this project also proved controversial, having been defeated by political majorities in the municipality of Tønder.

This is by no means the first time that Eurowind is involved in difficult projects. While Nørrekær Enge II has the potential to become the biggest onshore wind farm in Denmark, the locals already have the operational Thorup-Sletten farm. While the turbines are spinning, it might be on borrowed time, seeing as how the local planning appeals board rescinded the environmental impact report on this project as well.

For Vattenfall, the divestments don't entail a complete exit from Danish onshore wind. Once the projects are sold off – on top of last year's divestment of smaller farms to European Energy – the energy company still has a portfolio of 210MW in Denmark, which the company plans to keep operating, according to the press release.

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