Energy Strategy 2050

Country / jurisdiction: Denmark · Year: 2011 · Status: In force · Level: National · Type: Voluntary

The main goal of the Danish 2050 Energy Strategy is to achieve 100% independence from fossil fuel in the national energy mix by 2050.

In a first step to completely phase out fossil fuels the government targets the drop in the consumption of oil, gas and coal by 33% between 2009 and 2020.

The share of thermal production in total energy generation should also decrease from 71% to 40% over the same period.

To reach 100% of electricity from renewable, the Danish government greatly focuses on wind energy, expected to provide for 40% of total electricity needs, together with biomass and biogas. A solid district heating network, fed by renewable heat from biomass, will be the main motor of the energy transition in the heating sector.

Full independence from fossil fuels will also be reached through a solid and long term energy efficiency policy aiming at reducing gross energy consumption by 6% from 2006 levels. Energy companies will be required to increase energy savings by 50% in 2013 and 75% by 2017 to 2020. Electric meters diffusion will participate in moniotring energy demand in the residential sector.

In the building sector, the Danish government is going a step forward in implementing very ambitious building code, banning oil boilers in all new constructions and, by 2017, in all houses while biomass, biogas and solar thermal appliances will be strongly encouraged.

Denmark also targets the large scale deployment of offshore wind as well as dramatic growth in the wind manufacturing sector, and will fund research and development in for solar and wave power, support main demonstration projects for large heat pumps intended to be used in district heating plants and fund other geothermal energy research projects.

In order to generate revenues to finance the energy shift of the country, Denmark will introduce a public service obligation tax on electricity and gas, while tax on oil, gas and coal will be further increased to discourage their use.

With regards to nuclear, the country has maintained its ban on nuclear power programme and, since there is no potential for large hydropower project , most of the funding will be dedicated to new renewable sources.

Official source: http://www.kebmin.dk/sites/kebmin.dk/files/news/from-coal-oil-and-gas-to-green-energy/Energy%20Strategy%202050%20web.pdf