Masnedø () is a Danish island between

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

and

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

. The island covers an area of 1.68 km² and has 156 inhabitants.

Transportation

Masnedø can be reached by the

Masnedsund Bridge The Masnedsund Bridge ( da, Masnedsundbroen) is a bascule bridge that crosses Masnedsund between the islands Masnedø and Zealand ( da, Sjælland) in Denmark. It carries road and railway traffic, as well as pedestrians and bicycles. Together wit ...

from Zealand or the Storstrøm Bridge from Falster. The two bridges previously formed the major road and rail link between the two larger islands, but the road link has now been replaced in this role by the larger Farø Bridges, which cross the strait via the island of Farø. In connection with the

Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link The Fehmarn Belt fixed link ( da, Femern Bælt-forbindelsen, german: Fehmarnbelt-Querung) or Fehmarn Belt tunnel is an under-construction immersed tunnel, which will connect the Danish island of Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn, cross ...

, a new rail/road bridge is planned.

Energy

The island is home to a wind farm consisting of five 750 KW turbines, generating maximum 3.5 MW, constructed 1986. It is intended that they will be replaced with two 4MW turbines. The generating complex also includes a

combined heat and power Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elect ...

(CHP) generating plant burning straw, which provides electricity as well as heating for 7,000 homes in nearby Vordingborg. The plant produces 8.3 MW of electricity and 21 MW heat from an annual consumption of 40,000 tonnes of straw. Heating is also provided for a large area of greenhouses adjacent to the plant. From 1987, from the plant was used to grow

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es faster, but the operation ended with a loss of DKK 140 million. Residual ash is returned to local farms as fertiliser. The plant was constructed in 1996.

Military

Masnedø is the site of an abandoned military defensive fort dating from 1912. The fort was a longstanding defensive position for Storstrømmen waters in wars against England and Sweden, but was also the first target in the world to be successfully attacked by

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...

s, in 1940, when it was captured by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Fallschirmjäger The ''Fallschirmjäger'' () were the paratrooper branch of the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first German paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. Throughout World War II, the commander ...

s.Albert Merglen: Geschichte und Zukunft der Luftlandetruppen, Freiburg/Breisgau 1970, p26 The fort was taken over by the municipal authority in 1974, restored, and converted to an art gallery and home for music festivals.

References

External links

MasnedøfortetReport on CHP plant
Forts in Denmark Islands of Denmark {{Denmark-island-stub