Significant increase in the consumption of renewable energy in 2010
Renewable energy up by 14% in 2010. Due to the cold weather, observed Danish energy consumption increased by 3.4%
Increase in consumption of renewable energy
Consumption of renewable energy increased in 2010 by nearly 20PJ, corresponding to 14.0%. The greatest contributors were biomass and wind power, which increased by 14.8PJ and 3.9PJ respectively. The figures are from the Danish Energy Agency’s preliminary energy statistics for 2010. Consumption of natural gas increased by 11.9%, while consumption of oil remained unchanged and consumption of coal fell by 4.0%. Observed energy consumption in Denmark went up by 3.4% to 836PJ in 2010. The change in energy consumption reflects the fact that the weather in 2010 was significantly colder than the year before. Furthermore, economic activity, measured as GDP, grew by 2.1% from 2009 to 2010.
Adjusted for fluctuations in climate and foreign trade in electricity, gross energy consumption was 809PJ in 2010. This is 0.6% less than the year before and 1.3% less than in 1990.
Renewable energy’s share of adjusted gross energy consumption rose from 17.5% in 2009 to 19.3% in 2010. At the moment it is not possible to calculate the percentage of renewable energy in relation to final energy consumption in the same way as the EU calculates this figure. This information will be included in the final energy statistics in the autumn. In 2009, the renewable energy share was 19.7% according to the EU calculation method and, calculated according to this method, in recent years the share has been around 2 percentage points higher than in the national statement.
Adjusted energy consumption fell in 2010, despite an increase in GDP. The energy intensity in the Danish economy is therefore still falling. Adjusted gross energy consumption fell by 1.3% from 1990 to 2010. Over the same period GDP grew by 38.2%. In 2010, each unit of GDP therefore accounted for 29% less energy than in 1990.
Emissions of CO2 from energy consumption and overall greenhouse gas emissions
Observed emissions of CO2 from energy consumption increased in 2010 by 0.4%. When adjusted for foreign trade in electricity and fluctuations in climate, CO2 emissions fell in 2010 by 4.6%. Adjusted CO2 emissions from energy consumption have fallen by 22.9% since 1990.
The preliminary energy statistics contain an estimate of the changes in Denmark’s total emissions of greenhouse gases from 2009 to 2010. For 2010, observed emissions of greenhouse gases are estimated at 61.2 million tonnes CO2 equivalents, against 61.0 million tonnes CO2 equivalents in 2009, corresponding to an increase of 0.3%. When adjusted for fluctuations in climate and foreign trade in electricity, emissions fell by 3.7% in 2010. Compared to the base year (1990/1995), actual and adjusted emissions of greenhouse gases fell by 11.7% and 23.5%, respectively.
Only developments in emissions from non-ETS sectors have relevance in relation to Denmark’s Kyoto climate commitments, which entail reducing Danish emissions in the period 2008-2012 by 21% relative to the base year 1990/1995. The breakdown between ETS and non-ETS activities will be available in the final statistics, which the Danish Energy Agency will publish in autumn. In addition to emissions of greenhouse gases in Denmark, achieving Danish Kyoto commitments also involves the effects of uptake of CO2 by forests and soil as well as reductions through projects in other countries and purchases of emissions allowances.
Energy production down by 2.9%
Total Danish production of primary energy fell by 2.9% to 979PJ in 2010. Production of crude oil and natural gas fell by 5.9% and 3.0%, respectively. Production of renewable energy grew by 10.9% in 2010.
In 2010 the degree of self sufficiency was 121%. In other words, in 2010, Danish energy production was 21% higher than Danish energy consumption. The degree of self sufficiency was 124% in 2009.
Rising energy prices and greater trade surplus in energy products
In 2010, the price of crude oil, measured in terms of USD/barrel, rose by 29.0%. Measured in terms of DKK, the average price of crude oil (Brent) rose from DKK 327 per barrel in 2009 to DKK 447 per barrel in 2010, corresponding to a 36.8% rise. There were large variations in the price of crude oil in 2010. The average pool price of electricity in Denmark was DKK 0.386 per kWh in 2010, which is more than one-third above the 2009 price.
The trade surplus from trade in energy was DKK 14.7 billion in 2010 against DKK 13.2 billion in 2009. The 11% increase is attributable to higher energy prices.
Table of facts
Attached is a table of facts from the preliminary statement for 2010 of energy production, energy consumption, CO2 emissions and total greenhouse gas emissions as well as energy prices. Further information on the energy statistics is available on the Danish Energy Agency website at www.ens.dk.
Further information: Peter Dal, Senior Advisor, +45 33 92 75 03, e-mail: pd@ens.dk.
Principal Figures - Preliminary Energy Statistics 2010
Peter Dal
Chefkonsulent
Center for Energiressourcer
Tlf.: 3392 7503
pd@ens.dk