Denmark has paused plans for an up to 1.2GW offshore wind tender after seabed investigations showed the site could present more installation challenges than expected.

The Danish government last year announced plans for an 800MW-1.2GW tender for the Hesselo project in the sea between the province of Jutland and Sweden.

But the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) said on Friday that the process is on hold after site investigations revealed “soft clay formations, especially the upper 20-30 metres below the seabed, in large parts of the area selected for the [wind farm].