Ørsted and ATP have signed an agreement with digital infrastructure provider, GlobalConnect to make the Nordsøens Energiø (North Sea Energy Island) a backbone in the future digitization of Northern Europe and attract large-scale digital investments to Denmark, according to the Ørsted-ATP consortium.

With data consumption expected to rise significantly in the coming years, as more devices connect to the internet, the consortium said the development is expected to be a “major opportunity” to deliver on the future digitization agenda of Northern Europe and a “key enabler” to potentially attract investment in data centers and other digital infrastructure.

GlobalConnect has a high-capacity network and experience in Northern Europe with more than 100,000 km of fiber across the region.

Increased data consumption will require a capacity expansion of the grid transporting data between the North Sea countries. A smar” North Sea Energy Island offers a natural hub for the grid, while also being a reliable source of renewable energy to power increased digitization.

Rasmus Errboe, head of Continental Europe at Orsted, said, “The North Sea Energy Island offers Denmark a unique opportunity to become a hub for the key technologies of tomorrow, and thereby attract significant investments within both renewable energy and digitalization.”

“We’re very excited to work with GlobalConnect to enable the future connectivity needs of the region, while leveraging our unique modular design to potentially attract global tech investments to the region, including on the North Sea Energy Island.”

Martin Lippert, group CEO of GlobalConnect, added, “As a provider of cross-border critical digital infrastructure, we are very excited to share the vision with Orsted + ATP to build a smart energy island with a resilient and secure network that paves the way for the digital future of offshore wind while providing a unique attraction to global tech giants.”

Furthermore, the smart energy island is expected to become a key part in the future phases of the region’s wind energy expansion by enabling autonomous operations and further digitizing offshore wind.

“When embarking on such a significant long-term investment as The North Sea Energy Island, it’s crucial that the dynamics of the concept and construction meet the demands of the future sustainable and digital society”, said Claus Wiinblad, Senior Vice President at ATP.

“We want to create a versatile and flexible energy island that will support the green transition, both now and in the years to come.”