Renewable Energy Cluster – West
Two Large Energy Parks
The western energy cluster already includes a large renewable energy park at Barmosen north of Vordingborg, and another is well underway at Køng Mose. The two energy parks will ensure a green and resilient energy supply in Vordingborg Municipality. In addition to benefiting the local community, green energy will also help make the municipality even more attractive for businesses.
Both projects feature solar panels placed on lowland areas. A total of 283 hectares of solar panels are planned at the two locations, and together they can produce up to 298,000 MWh annually. Furthermore, there are plans for 6 wind turbines at Køng Mose, which together will contribute an additional 82,000 MWh.
> High Priority on Biodiversity
The project at Køng Mose focuses on carbon capture on lowland areas and coexistence with biodiversity. In the same area, you’ll also find one of Denmark’s largest biogas plants, Nature Energy, which produces green, sustainable, climate-friendly biogas for the public gas grid. The projects at Køng Mose contribute to the green transition, a fossil-free future, and improved energy conditions in Vordingborg Municipality.
“We need to build large amounts of renewable energy on land. In 2023, the municipal council adopted an ambition to establish 1 million MWh of green energy on land, and with the energy park at Køng Mose, we’re taking a solid step toward achieving that ambition. The ambition matters because large amounts of green energy can attract energy-intensive companies and contribute financially to the municipality,” says Helene Urth, CEO of Business Vordingborg.
> Agri PV Test Center
In addition to the two energy parks at Barmosen and Køng Mose, four more renewable energy projects are on the way. At Snertingegård, European Energy is planning a major project to realize an Agri PV test center. The test center will combine 40 hectares of solar panels with wind turbines and farming, and it will be the largest test facility of its kind in the world.
“What we’re trying to do through AgriPV is maintain an almost normal food production, even as we harvest energy through solar panels. That’s the whole point.”
Knud Erik Andersen | CEO and Co-founder, European Energy
If all projects in the western energy cluster are realized, then together with Barmosen and Køng Mose they could produce up to 650,000 MWh per year, spread across 10 wind turbines and 323 hectares of solar panels.
of solar panels
energy production
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> Nature Energy
Just outside Køng is the Nature Energy biogas plant, which turns waste into green, sustainable biogas distributed through the gas grid to consumers and businesses. Nature Energy has 13 biogas plants in Denmark, plus one in the Netherlands and one in France. The company works to create a sustainable future by turning waste into value.
The company’s biogas plant went into operation in 2022, producing biogas from waste from farmers, industry, and residents. The plant ensures the greatest possible use of what others can no longer use, and it was the first biogas plant on Zealand. In addition, the plant operates around the clock and secures jobs in the municipality. The share of biogas in the natural gas grid has risen over the past 10 years from 3–4 percent to 30 percent in 2022.
“The green transition in Køng—it’s already started. It began the Tuesday after Easter and is now in full swing. We will increase gas production over the next 3–4 months, after which we’ll be at max production and produce around 20 million cubic meters of green, climate-friendly biogas per year,” said Jesper Bundgaard, Deputy Director at Nature Energy, back in 2022.
Vordingborg Municipality has been ahead of the curve so far. That’s why the billion-kroner group Nature Energy chose Køng for their first plant on Zealand. The area had already been designated for biogas production, making it an obvious location.
“For quite some time we’ve wanted to build something on Zealand. Køng ended up being first. Even before we started building, the area had been designated by Vordingborg Municipality for biogas use. So it was completely obvious,” says Jesper Bundgaard, Deputy Director at Nature Energy.
> Agri PV Test Center
In the fields at Snertingegård north of Vordingborg, European Energy has applied to build a large-scale test center—an Agri-PV test center that will combine solar power and farming—agriculture and photovoltaics. The facility will be the largest of its kind in the world.
European Energy will install 40 hectares of solar panels on arrays up to 5.5 meters high with trackers, so the panels move and follow the sun throughout the day. The panels will be spaced up to 13 meters apart to allow farm machinery to pass between them. In addition to the 40 hectares of solar panels, the project is expected to include 70 hectares of farmland.
In April 2024, several stakeholders from Vordingborg Municipality visited Flakkebjerg near Slagelse to see a similar facility. The visit also aimed to build a shared understanding of the potential and the need for installations that can advance the green transition while addressing societal challenges.
“It’s been really exciting to see an Agri-PV test center in real life now that we’re about to plan a large-scale project in Vordingborg Municipality. This is the future. Several countries in Europe have started introducing legislation requiring agriculture to be integrated when solar farms are established. Here at European Energy, they’re trying to meet demand by developing the technology, and Vordingborg will become the epicenter of that research going forward. And I’m looking forward to it,” said Mikael Smed, Mayor of Vordingborg Municipality, after the study tour and visit to Flakkebjerg.
> BeGreen’s solar park
In November 2022, BeGreen’s solar park in Barmosen near Vordingborg was inaugurated and put into operation. The solar park produces green electricity and covers 123 hectares of former peat bog, now generating 128,000 MWh per year—the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 38,000 households. 123 hectares—roughly 250 football pitches—of former lakebed have been transformed into one of the power plants of the future, powered by the sun’s rays. BeGreen’s goal with the solar park is to produce sustainable, emissions-free electricity while maintaining a sound balance between the economy, nature, and climate.
“Vordingborg Municipality has been an absolute pleasure to work with. From the moment we submitted our application, they’ve been positive about a solar power plant in Vordingborg. You can really tell they’re eager to make a difference,” said Anders Dolmer, Managing Partner at BeGreen, to Sjællandske.
The climate benefits of the solar park are clear. The production of green electricity at Barmosen saves 760 tons of CO2 per hectare converted from farming to power generation. This means Barmosen saves 106,000 tons of CO2e per year, which is about 25% of Vordingborg Municipality’s total CO2 emissions in 2022.
The grass in the solar park is harvested 3 to 4 times a year. The grass is baled, and a green protein is extracted from the juice, which can be used for both human and animal feed. In addition, the solar project has contributed DKK 3.3 million to the Green Pool, which the local area can apply to for a variety of projects.
“There’s much more that comes with installing solar panels. After just one year, we’re seeing an 80% increase in biodiversity at our solar farms. We ensure groundwater isn’t polluted because we don’t use pesticides, and we ensure sustainable food production,” says Anders Dolmer.
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