Renewable energy in Denmark

Renewable energy in Denmark
Renewable energy (RE)
RE as % of gross energy consumption32.9%[a] (2018)[2]: 16 
Renewable electricity
Domestic electricity supply generated by RE71.9% (2021)[3]
RE generated / Net electricity generation21,043 / 29,453 GWh (2017)[4]
Record % RE covered electricity consumption138.7% (26/7/15 wind only)[citation needed]
Installed capacity
Wind turbines6.1 GW[2]: 9 
Bio energy (2014)1 GW (excluding waste; 2014)[citation needed]
Solar power1 GW (2018)[2]: 10 
Hydro power<0.01 GW (2018)[2]: 10 

Denmark is a leading country in renewable energy production and usage. Renewable energy sources collectively produced 81% of Denmark's electricity generation in 2022,[5] and are expected to provide 100% of national electric power production from 2030.[6] Including energy use in the heating/cooling and transport sectors, Denmark is expected to reach 100% renewable energy in 2050, up from the 34% recorded in 2021.[7][8]

In the heating sector the country has long used and continues to develop district heating (DH) networks. Hot water or steam is produced centrally and then distributed through a network of insulated pipes to high population areas. Houses within a district heating area have heat exchangers installed instead of boilers for their heating and hot water requirements. The heat exchanger keeps the two water systems separate and means that heat can be adjusted as with a familiar domestic boiler. One simple but important innovation in the district heating network was the development of internally insulated pipes. The two pipes taking and receiving the return of water are placed inside a much larger pipe and insulating material is set so as to fill the figure eight shaped void between the two smaller and the large pipe. In 2013 district heating supplied over 60% of all households in Denmark with heating and hot water.[9] The development of district heating technology has led Denmark to become a world leader in industrial pump and thermostat designs and its products are used in many industries worldwide.

Cogeneration is also widely used. This is a process that extracts the waste heat produced when generating electricity. Power stations designed to do this are known as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) stations. CHP stations in Denmark are often sized to provide the heat required for the local district heating system. Thus CHP stations produce both electricity for the grid and heat for district heating systems. Heat can be stored in large industrial hot water tanks for several days allowing electricity and heat supply to be provided time independently from each other. By 2013 the use of CHP stations had reduced the overall energy consumption in Denmark by 11%.[9]

Danish electricity generation has become increasingly decentralised with a move away from production in the large central power stations to many smaller locally based and mostly CHP stations. Many of these smaller stations use locally sourced bio energy sources including straw and wood pellets.

  1. ^ "Steps: 257 ÷ 781 = 0.32906530089629 = 32.906530089629%". Archived from the original on 19 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference energy statistics 2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Danish Energy Agency" (PDF). Energy Statistics 2021.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2018 report was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Clean energy". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  7. ^ Karin Jensen (2022-11-15). "The Green Transition in the Nordic Countries: Lessons in Sustainable Development". Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  8. ^ "Share of energy from renewable sources". Eurostat. 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  9. ^ a b "The Danish Energy Model: Innovative, Efficient and Sustainable" (PDF). Danish Energy Agency. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.


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