Biogas plant plan scrapped, leaving Odder Municipality without climate plan B

A four-year battle against a biogas plant near Torrild has ended in victory for local opponents after the Planning Complaints Board overturned the project’s local plan, citing an inadequate environmental report on traffic impacts.

The decision, announced Tuesday, was welcomed by Henriette Toftegaard, chair of the “Preserve Torrild and Surroundings” association and a Conservative member of the local council. “It’s a relief to have won after four years of fighting for our community and nature,” she said. “It’s good to see the legal system step in when citizens are right.”

But the ruling leaves Odder Municipality scrambling to meet its climate targets. Mayor Lone Jakobi, a Social Democrat, called the situation a setback. “We must respect the decision, but years of work now have to be rethought. We’re far from our climate goals, and without the biogas plant, we may need to find 400 hectares for solar panels instead,” she said.

Toftegaard remains optimistic, arguing the municipality has other climate initiatives underway. “It might be tight to hit the 2030 targets, but we could have diversified our approach earlier instead of betting everything on one project,” she said.

The case reflects broader tensions in Denmark over renewable energy projects, with local resistance often clashing with national climate ambitions.