Located 150 km west of Copenhagen, in the Baltic Sea, it covers an area of 112 km² for 4500 inhabitants. The island is 100% renewable on the electricity consumption side, producing a surplus exchanged with the continent. Renewable energy is produced by 11 wind turbines Onshore (11MW) and 10 offshore (23 MW), for a total of 34 MW. The peculiarity of this plant is that the wind turbines were purchased from various companies present on the island, that is, from the local municipality, from farmers and from an investment company. Currently, the wind turbine system helps to prevent the release of around 12 tons of CO2 / inhabitant into the atmosphere.
In addition, a district heating network serving approx 1200 users domestic, consisting of 3 plants fed with straw and 1 with wood waste from the responsible management of local forests, combined with various solar collectors used to heat the water.
The project immediately met the full involvement of the community of inhabitants, and made use of participatory processes with open consultation and decision-making procedures bottom-up which have proved to be a key factor in the success of the operation. To coordinate the project, theEnergy Academy, with research and training / education functions, where the population still meets to deliberate on energy issues of interest, including the steps to be taken to give substance to the strategy of complete decarbonisation of the island by 2030.