Jørgensen, of Energinet, reported in late May, 2019, that for many years we have been talking about the ambitious Danish goal of 50% of electricity supply from wind power by 2020 and the vison of independence from fossil fuels for the country by 2050. Today electricity generation based on renewable energy sources (RES) constitutes almost 2/3 of the demand. The authors claims that they are now very close to a successful fulfillment of the 2020 goal with help from the traditional toolbox for “horizontal integration”; strong transmission grids and interconnectors, international wholesale markets, flexible power plants and a proactive approach to system balancing in daily operations.
We have also realized that these tools will not suffice for the remaining transition towards independence of fossil fuels. A new change of paradigm is required, and we expect a “vertical integration” based on retail-markets, digitization and coupling of sectors to become the major enabler.
Recent studies published by Energinet show that the Power to X (PtX) technology is now becoming economically viable in a Danish context within the relevant time frame. With this scalable and in principle unlimited resource available, in combination with the vast offshore wind power resources around Denmark, we will also be able to realize the goals for 2050.
The author discusses the following subjects in the article:
Vast wind power resources close to Denmark
Integration in the electricity system alone isn’t enough
Wind power must substitute fossil fuels in other energy sectors
“Green electrons” to “Green molecules”
Potential for electrolysis/PtG/PtX in Denmark
Interest from large commercial players
and finally:
A Bright Future
Electrolysis is by no means a new revolutionary technology. For many years we have seen the obvious benefits in a VRE-based energy system, while waiting for a breakthrough with respect to economics and efficiency. We see this happening now, not only due to developments in the technology for electrolysis, but also due to a combination of the technological options, availability of vast wind power resources and Danish strongholds in coherent energy planning and coupling of energy sectors. As one of the older engineers in the TSO-business, I finally feel very comfortable with Energinet’s commitment to ensure a secure and efficient transition towards a fossil-free electricity system by 2030 and fossil-free society by 2050.
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