Description:
Dogger Island is an artificial 6,5 square kilometre island in the North Sea which will form the hub of a renewable energy producing area.
What is it?
The European Union gave TenneT and Energinet, two big energy companies, permission to build the artificial island in the north sea. As the video shows the island would consist of a harbour, some roads, a runway for planes and workshops and green spaces which could produce solar power. It would form the heart of an area with lots of wind turbines. The wind energy and solar power combined would eventually generate green electricity for more than 80 million people. If all goes to plan the island would be connected by electricity cables to the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Belgium.
Why is it interesting?
In order to produce a lot of clean energy, you need a lot of space. As the European land is usually crowded, the sea could be a solution. Because of the scale of Dogger Island, it would help to reduce costs. Wind and solar energy could complement each other, with the sun in the spring and summer and wind in the autumn and winter. It may look like science fiction but is worth to be taken seriously.
Key take away?
To make a leap ahead sometimes radical choices are necessary. An island in sea equipped to be a power hub is one of those choices.
