LEGO Group: Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm begins generating electricity

LEGO Group: Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm begins generating electricity

Electricity has been generated for the first time from the Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm. The wind farm will help the LEGO Group reach its goal of balancing its energy consumption with production of renewable energy by 2020.

BILLUND, Denmark, 24-Nov-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — Today (21 November 2016), the first wind turbines at the Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm delivered their power into the UK electricity grid. The wind farm is a joint venture between DONG Energy (50%) and its partners PKA (25%) and KIRKBI A/S (25%). KIRKBI A/S, which owns 75% of the LEGO Group, has invested approximately DKK 3.3bn (GBP 330m) in the construction.

“We have an ambition to make a positive impact on the planet and our society – ensuring that we do what we can to leave a better world for future generations. Our biggest positive impact comes through the LEGO® play experiences that inspire and develop children all over the world. In addition, we want to minimize the impact we have on the environment when we manufacture LEGO bricks. The investment in Burbo Bank Extension supports our goal of balancing the energy use at our factories around the world with the production of renewable energy,” says John Goodwin, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in the LEGO Group.

Over the coming weeks the first turbines at Burbo Bank Extension will be generating more and more renewable energy that will feed into the UK electricity grid. Once all 32 turbines have been installed, expected in the first quarter of 2017, the wind farm will be capable of generating up to 258 megawatts (MW) of electricity – enough capacity to meet the annual electricity demands of approximately 230,000 UK homes.

So far, KIRKBI A/S, on behalf of the LEGO Group, has made two major investments in  renewable energy at Burbo Bank (LINK: https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2016/february/partnership-to-finance-wind-farm) as well as the offshore wind farm Borkum Riffgrund in Germany (LINK: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/news-room/2015/october/wind-farm-inauguration?ignorereferer=true). Both investments support the LEGO Group’s overall ambition to minimize its environmental impact and are in line with the entry in the Climate Savers partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2013. (LINK: https://wwwsecure.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2013/november/climate-savers)

Among other things, The LEGO Group has committed to balancing its energy consumption with renewable energy capacity by 2020 and beyond, and with the investments in Burbo Bank Extension, this target will be reached well ahead of the deadline.

“In addition to the investment in renewable energy, we work on a broad range of other activities within the environmental agenda. For example, we continuously explore how we can reduce our energy use. Over the course of the last three years, the energy needed to make a single LEGO® brick was reduced by more than 15%. And we will continue to set new targets for increasing energy efficiency,” says Tim Brooks, Vice President, Environmental Sustainability.

Investments in renewable energy is part of the LEGO Group’s broader responsibility agenda, covering areas such as product safety, labour rights, employee safety and engagement with the local community where it operates in addition to environmental impact. Read more about the LEGO Groups work on the responsibility agenda here: LINK (https://wwwsecure.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/responsibility)

Facts about Burbo Bank Extension

• The wind farm is located in the Irish Sea, 7 kilometers from the coast of Liverpool.

• When completed, the wind farm will consist of 32 MHI Vestas V164-8.0MW wind turbines.

• The wind farm will produce enough environmentally friendly electricity to supply 230,000 British households each year.

• The wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned in the first quarter of 2017.

SOURCE: the LEGO Group

Further information:

Roar Trangbæk, Press Officer, the LEGO Group
Ph: +45 7950 4348
Mob: +45 3065 3164
RRT@LEGO.com

About DONG Energy:
DONG Energy (NASDAQ OMX: DENERG) is one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, headquartered in Denmark. Around 6,700 ambitious employees, including over 700 in the UK, are engaged in developing, constructing and operating offshore wind farms; generating power and heat from our power stations; providing energy to residential and business customers on a daily basis; and producing oil and gas. Group revenue was DKK 71bn (EUR 9.5bn) in 2015. For further information, see www.dongenergy.co.uk or follow us @DONGEnergyUK on Twitter

For further information:
Juliette Sanders, UK Media Relations Manager
Ph: +44 20 7811 1181, Mob: +44 7876 866284
julsa@dongenergy.uk

About PKA
PKA is one of the largest pension funds in Denmark with 275,000 members and assets of 235 bn. DKK. PKA has invested about 17 bn. DKK in climate-related projects, including wind farms, green bonds and the Danish Climate Investment Fund. The aim is that climate-related projects will be 10% of total investments in 2020.
With Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm in England PKA has invested in five offshore wind farms in four countries: Anholt in Denmark, Gode Wind II and Butendiek in Germany and Gemini in the Netherlands. A total investment of more than 9 bn. DKK, which will provide renewable energy to about 2.0 mn. households.

For further information:
Thomas B. Knudsen, Head of Press
Ph: + 45 2618 4573
tbk@pka.dk