By the end of 2012 wind energy covered more than 30% of Denmark’s electricity consumption. Denmark is thus still well on its way toward the target of 50% wind energy in 2020, and remains the country with the highest share of wind energy in the electricity system in the world .
The share of 30% wind energy in the electricity consumption is an increase of approx. 2 percentage points compared to 2011. The increase is based on some 170 MW of new capacity built on land and more than 50 MW at sea. At sea, it comes from wind turbines connected to the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm and onshore some 20% comes from Kalundborg Municipality, where 36 MW were installed last year. The new figures are from the Danish Energy Agency wind register.
“An increase of 2 percentage points may not sound as much, but it is in line with what we expect to reach the official target of 50% in 2020. We will see a slightly larger jump in 2013, when Anholt completed and there will again be some jumps when we connect the next big wind farms and near-shore turbines in 2017-2020,” says chief economist at the Danish Wind Industry Association, Sune Strøm.
Construction at sea speeds up towards 2020
The number of new turbines at sea will increase significantly in the years up to 2020. Anholt Offshore Wind Farm will be completed at the end of 2013 and by the time the park’s 400 MW will provide 4% of the Danish electricity consumption. In addition, the planning process has started for Horns Rev III of 400 MW, Krieger’s Flak of 600 MW and the near-shore turbines which will have a combined capacity of 500 MW, of which 50 MW will be test turbines.
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Press release, January 31, 2013; Image: DONG Energy