Copenhagen data centres cannot sign new grid agreements until Energinet allocates capacity

A data centre planned in the Copenhagen area cannot sign a new grid connection agreement with Radius Elnet at the moment, whatever its size. Radius updated its capacity status page on 21 October 2026: a four-category priority rule has applied since 15 October, and data centres sit in category 4 of 4. They wait for the transmission operator Energinet to allocate capacity. Energinet expects to answer data-centre projects in early December 2026, while Radius says late November, so plan for early December.

What changed on 21 October

Radius rewrote its capacity status page on 21 October 2026. Since 15 October every connection request is sorted into one of four categories under Denmark’s emergency plan for the grid. The categories are protected and critical needs, the green transition, energy storage, and data centres. Radius also says projects in categories 2 to 4 are ranked by how grid friendly they are, meaning how flexibly they can connect.

Radius connects small and medium customers as before, except category 3 and 4 plants. Connections of 3 MW and above are cleared case by case with Energinet, and Radius expects that to lengthen the wait markedly. Plants in categories 3 and 4 are caught even below 3 MW, so a small data centre gains nothing from its size. Agreements already signed stand.

The scale of the squeeze is Energinet’s own. On 2 March 2026 it reported about 60 GW of new consumption waiting for connection in its queue and those of the distribution companies. Danish peak demand is about 7 GW.

What the November allocation decides

Energinet’s capacity allocation page, also updated on 21 October, says its assessments run until the first week of November. Category 1 and 2 projects should hear in early November, and category 3 and 4 projects in early December. Radius gives a slightly earlier window for the same results: the first half of November for categories 1 and 2, and later in November for categories 3 and 4. The two operators disagree by a week or two, so plan for the later date.

Energinet adds three conditions that matter to a data-centre team:

• Projects still in screening or early maturation are not expected to enter this first assessment. The next one is in spring 2027.
• Being ready to sign a connection agreement is not a guarantee of capacity. Energinet says no project can count on being allocated capacity this autumn.
• Projects judged ready may choose to defer to the spring 2027 assessment. Energinet says that option may not return.

What an operator planning in Copenhagen should do now

• Confirm your category in writing with Radius. Category 1 covers protected needs and critical societal functions, so check whether any part of your project qualifies.
• Get the project ready for an agreement: technical design, budget and the information Energinet lists as needed for the contract. Radius is clear that nothing binds it until it has signed.
• Do not commit to third parties on the strength of a connection date. Radius says obligations you take on before its signature cannot be attributed to the grid company.
• Design for flexibility. Energinet has developed a product for limited grid access, and Radius expects it to be filed with the regulator in October 2026. Both say grid friendliness counts in the ranking.
• Keep a second site on the list. Energinet says many new customers still need transmission reinforcement before they get full grid access.

What to watch

Three dates carry the decision. The first is early November, when categories 1 and 2 get their answers and the capacity left for the rest becomes clearer. The second is early December, when Energinet answers categories 3 and 4. Radius expects the same results late in November, so watch from then. The third is the spring 2027 assessment, which is the next chance for anything not ready this time.

We track the Danish rules and the dated figures in the grid connection tracker, which covers 32 markets. The Denmark market page shows the pipeline and the latest check for the country. Facts here are as published by Radius Elnet and Energinet on 21 October 2026 and read again on 23 October.