Svendborg Øst – Supplying green energy and protecting our groundwater
Better Energy and TDC NET are proud to announce the completion and grid connection of a new zero-subsidy solar park in Svendborg, aptly named Svendborg Øst. It is a landmark project where large parts of the solar park are located on top of areas of special groundwater interests.
Svendborg Øst will not only produce green electricity but also protect the quality of the drinking water, as the site will be kept free from fertilisers and pesticides.
Svendborg Municipality has led the way by the good example with their planning efforts, emphasising the importance of solar parks for protecting the groundwater.
Mayor of Svendborg Municipality Bo Hansen gave the inaugural speech and thanked all parties involved for a well-executed process from farm field to solar park:
“You have managed to succeed with something, which unfortunately is often a barrier for the development of sustainable energy. Through your dialogue and communication with neighbours and stakeholders, you have managed to establish an understanding for the placement of this park. You deserve a lot of credit for this and you have my genuine respect.”
You can see a short video from the event here.
The Svendborg park has an expected output of 32,714,236 kWh, corresponding to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 20,446 Danes.
The park is a result of TDC NET’s long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) last year in which Better Energy began the construction of four new solar parks in Denmark with a total expected production of 140 GWh.
Better Energy and TDC NET share a vision to make the grid greener. When companies add the same amount of energy to the market where they consume it, this is called true additionality.
TDC NET’s investment in renewable energy takes place as part of reaching the company’s target of becoming CO2-neutral throughout the business in 2028 and the value chain in 2030. Together, the four solar parks will cover about 60 percent of TDC NET’s total electricity consumption.
“As Denmark’s largest supplier of digital infrastructure, we want to take responsibility and help promote the green transition in Denmark and ensure that the total amount of green, renewable energy is increased. When we connect homes with high-speed broadband and ensure the Danes the best mobile network, this leads to a higher energy consumption – e.g. through increased use of streaming. We have a responsibility to address this by becoming as energy efficient as possible and making the energy we use green,” says Peter Søndergaard Andersen, Head of Sustainability at TDC NET.
The event was also attended by Vores Elnet, the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, the landowners from Hvidkilde Estate Christian and Carl Johan-Ahlefeldt, as well as additional representatives from Svendborg Municipality.