Renewables now cover 56% of electricity consumption
Higher electricity imports and much higher wind power generation led to a large drop in consumption of coal and other fossil fuels at power plants in 2015. This in turn meant that observed CO2 emissions fell by 6.6% in 2015, and that renewable energy now covers 56% of electricity consumption. These are headlines from Energy Statistics 2015, which were published by the Danish Energy Agency today.
Observed energy consumption in Denmark in 2015 was unchanged compared with 2014 at 720 PJ, even though 2015 was somewhat colder than the preceding year. Adjusted energy consumption is adjusted for fluctuations in climate, and fuel consumption linked to foreign trade in electricity. In 2015 adjusted energy consumption rose by 0.3%. The unchanged observed energy consumption is partly due to the highest net Danish imports of electricity since 1990.
The higher net imports of electricity and higher electricity production from wind power meant that fuel consumption to generate electricity fell by 14.4%. This trend covers a total drop in coal, oil and natural gas consumption of 30.4%, while consumption of renewable energy rose by 2.7% in 2015.
Increasing consumption of renewable energy
Consumption of renewable energy increased from 2014 to 2015 by 6.4% to 206 PJ. This was partly because of an increase in wind power generation of 8.1%. According to the EU method of calculation, renewables accounted for around 30% of energy consumption in 2015, against 29.2% in 2014.
Production of electricity from renewables accounted for 56.0% of Danish domestic electricity supply in 2015. The largest contribution came from wind power at 41.8%, and biomass at 11.0%.
Drop in emissions of greenhouse gases
The large drop in the consumption of coal in 2015 meant that the observed CO2 emissions from energy consumption fell by 6.6% in 2015 to 35.2 mill. tonnes. Adjusted for fluctuations in climate and fuel consumption linked to foreign trade in electricity, CO2 emissions fell by 3.3%. Since 1990, adjusted CO2 emissions have been reduced by 35.8%.
A preliminary statement of total Danish observed emissions of greenhouse gases shows a drop of 4.9% in 2015 corresponding to a reduction of observed emissions of greenhouse gasses of 31.1% since 1990.
Drop in energy production and self-sufficiency rate
Danish production of crude oil, natural gas and renewable energy etc. fell by 0.3% in 2015 to 675 PJ. Production of crude oil fell by 5.4%, while production of natural gas remained at the same level as the previous year and production of renewable energy rose by 11.8%.
The Danish degree of self-sufficiency for energy was 89% in 2015 compared with 90% in the previous year. This means that Denmark’s own energy production was 11% less than energy consumption in 2014.
Read Energy Statistics 2015 (in English).
Contact:
Special Advisor Jane Rusbjerg, Danish Energy Agency, tel: +45 33 92 68 36, e-mail: jru@ens.dk
Head of Media Relations Ture Falbe-Hansen, cell: +45 25 13 78 46, e-mail: tfh@ens.dk
