Danish Energy Agency Re-Rejects Applications for Feasibility Study Permits Under ‘Open-Door’ Scheme

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The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has revised the applications for feasibility study permits under the open-door scheme, for which the process was suspended in 2023 and reactivated last year. The DEA has now made new decisions in the cases and maintains the rejection of all 37 applications.

The DEA put the processing of cases under the open-door scheme on hold in February 2023, saying the granting of permits for offshore wind and other renewable energy projects under this scheme may be in breach of EU law.

At the beginning of March 2023, the DEA resumed the processing of the Aflandshage and the Frederikshavn offshore wind farm projects as the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities assessed that the establishment permits issued for Aflandshage and Frederikshavn in the autumn of 2022 were not in violation of EU law. The projects were granted feasibility study permits in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Later that same month, the DEA resumed the assessment of the Jammerland Bugt, Lillebælt South, Omø South, and Nordre Flint offshore wind farms and, in July 2023, case processing of three offshore wind farms laid out in the then-new Marine Plan and all pending applications for test projects under the open-door scheme.

In May and June 2024, the Energy Complaints Board overturned a number of decisions rejecting applications for feasibility study permits and forwarded the cases to the Danish Energy Agency for reconsideration.

The Danish Energy Agency has now made new decisions in these cases and, on 1 September 2025, issued decisions to 37 applicants, including three applications for offshore wind projects with elements of testing. The applicants have all had their applications for feasibility study permits for offshore wind projects under the scheme rejected.