Electricity sector in Denmark

Denmark's western electrical grid is part of the Synchronous grid of Continental Europe whereas the eastern part is connected to the Synchronous grid of Northern Europe via Sweden.

Old hydro electric powerplant - Harte - Kolding - Denmark
Wind turbines at Randers Fjord, Denmark

80% of electricity generated in Denmark comes from renewables (as of 2019). The most important source of electricity production is wind power (57%). Interconnectors to neighboring countries, in particular Norway which exports hydroelectricity and Sweden which exports mostly hydroelectricity and nuclear electricity, provide extra power when electricity consumption exceeds generation. The combination of domestic wind power and Norwegian hydroelectricity provides a stable source of renewable, non-biomass electricity (which would be harder to achieve on wind power alone, without energy storage).

Solar power is at 3% of the total generation, but quickly expanding. Denmark also burns biomass and other combustible renewables to generate electricity, and it constitutes 20% of the electricity production. Fossil fuels and waste provide another 20% (as of 2019).[1]

Denmark is a net importer of electricity. The flow of electricity between Denmark and the countries it has interconnectors with (Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands), and the direction of that flow, is highly variable and depends on current demand and current Danish wind power output.

Danish average consumption of electricity per person was 0.8 MWh less than EU 15 average in 2008. Denmark has average electricity costs (including costs for cleaner energy) in EU,[2] but general taxes increase the price to the highest in Europe.[3] In 2015, supply security was over 99.99%, among the highest in the world.[4]

The Danish electricity market is a part of the Nord Pool Spot power exchange.

Wind power in Denmark

Denmark invested in the wind power development in the 1970s and has had the highest wind share in the world ever since; wind produced the equivalent of 42% of Denmark's total electricity consumption in 2015.[5][6] Danish consumption of wind turbine generated electricity is the highest in the world per person: 1,218 kWh in 2009. Denmark produced more wind power per person in Denmark in 2009 than either Spain or the UK produced nuclear power per person in their respective countries.

Gross electricity consumption & production in GWh with renewables share
ProductionConsumptionImport-ExportFossilNuclearRE Bio & WasteWind OnshoreWind OffshoreTotal Wind % of ConsumptionTotal RE % of ConsumptionKg CO2 per MWh Produced
20053640035130137023526035455236142819%29%571
20064574235974-693433264035144739136817%27%619
20073937136069-95526318035065800137020%30%588
20083672336103145424053035925453152419%29%572
2009364823462433423892036685046166419%30%586
20103888235483-113524010047805122268622%35%542
20113504034528131818901045276360340528%41%498
20123068934135521414052045836796347230%44%458
20133482334037108116669046316772435133%46%452
20143216133471285512405045197913516539%53%391
2015289313361659128512044369300483342%55%335
20163019933018505710499048858132465039%56%368
2017306623300645637798060719597518045%66%285
Note 1: All numbers are gross which includes losses from transmission, distribution and self-consumption by fossil thermal plants making total production and consumption larger as well as making the non-thermal renewable share smaller, e.g. renewables production made up 49.2% of net generation during 2012.[7]
Note 2: Wind conditions fluctuate from year to year and changes to precipitation over Scandinavia significantly affects hydro production in Norway and Sweden which in turn affects imports and exports, e.g. 2006.
Note 3: Photovoltaics first had a significant effect in 2012. Due to this electricity being seen by the grid as self-consumption it in part caused gross consumption to drop by 1% from 2011 to 2012.[7]
Note 4: Sources are from the publicly owned transmission grid authority Energinet.dk with their Environmental Reports 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2018 [8]

Consumption
External images
image icon EU industry electricity prices
image icon EU household electricity prices
image icon Composition of consumer price, 2005-2019

According to Nordel annual statistics Denmark's total electricity consumption totaled 36,392 GWh in 2006. Consumption increased about 3% in the period from 2001 to 2006 (in the same time-frame Sweden saw a 3% reduction, Norway a 2% reduction and Finland a 10% increase).[9]

As of 2009 Danish consumption of wind-generated electricity topped the world per person: 1,218 kWh. The renewable electricity-sources may give some protection against high annual changes. Electricity consumption fell in Denmark only 4% in the 2009-2008 recession (while falling 7.1% in Sweden, 7.9% in Finland and 8.6% in the UK; in Iceland consumption fell only 0.9%). Danish average consumption of electricity per person was 0.8 MWh less than the EU 15 average of 7.4 MWh in 2008.[10]

How price of consumer electricity is composed in Denmark, 2015[11]

  Raw Cost (32%)
  PSO for cleaner energy (9%)
  Tolls and VAT (59%)

In 2019, Danish industry paid around 8 eurocent/kWh for the electricity cost, less than the EU average of 12 c.[12] In 2014, Danish industry paid around 32øre/kWh for the electricity cost,[2] about EU average. Denmark has average electricity costs (including consumer-paid incentives (PSO); costs for cleaner energy) in EU,[13][14][15] but taxes increase the consumer price to the highest in Europe[16] at around EUR 0.30/kWh.[3]

PSO is used for wind, biomass, solar, and district heating; total PSO was DKK 5.8 billion in 2013, of which DKK 3.2 billion went to wind power.[17] In 2015, the cost of power was only 32% of the price, while PSO was 9%, and tolls and VAT the remaining 59%.[11]

As new data centers come online, Energinet.dk expects consumption to increase by 3.8 TWh in 2023 and by 13 TWh in 2040, compared to 2015.[18]

Due to exchange with other countries, Danish consumption of electricity is different from its production.[19] The Environment declaration shows how the physical power is composed of different fuel sources.[20] The General Declaration differs due to trade with green certificates, and does not show actual composition.[21][22] Due to more wind in Denmark and more precipitation in Norway and Sweden, Danish electricity went from 1,216 kg CO2 per household in 2014 to 808 kg in 2015 (182g/kWh in 2014).[23] 58% came from wind, water and sun, 19% from coal&lignite, and 4% from nuclear.[24]

2014 composition of fuel for electricity consumption
including losses and district heating
Coal&ligniteNuclearNatural gasWind, hydro, solarBiomass&wasteOil
Environment declaration[20][21]30%3%7%47%13%0%

Production
External image
image icon Electricity production by source, 2000-2020
image icon Power supply map, 1985 and 2015

Mode of production

The total installed power capacity was 12.5 GW in 2001 and in the end of 2006 12.7 GW including 9.5 GW from natural gas, coal and oil and 3.1 GW wind power.[9] Denmark has almost no hydropower,[25] and no pumped storage.[26] Denmark had the 6th best energy security in the world in 2014, although this includes non-electrical energy.[27] Denmark has 1250 MW of methane-fueled distributed power plants supplying district heating. Their electricity production decreased to a third during the ten years from 2010 to 2019, but power capacity remained the same.[28] Current power system data are provided by Energinet.dk and EMD.

Power stations
See also: List of power stations in Denmark and List of offshore wind farms in Denmark

Producers

Main power producing companies operating in the Danish market are Ørsted A/S and Vattenfall. The current market structure was designed in 2003–2006 by a number of mergers and transactions. In January 2003, Ørsted (then called DONG Energy) acquires a 64% share in the regional power company EnergiGruppen Jylland, which owned 3.1% of the electricity producer Elsam. At the same year Elsam acquired 78.8% of retail sales operator NESA and later took a full control of the company. At the same time, NESA owned 36% in other electricity producer Energy E2. In 2004, EnergiGruppen Jylland increased its stake in Elsam to 24% and on 10 December 2004 Ørsted and Elsam announce announced their planned merger. Ørsted increased its stake in Elsam to 64.7% while Swedish power producer Vattenfall had acquired a blocking stake of 35.3%.[29]

In 2005, Ørsted purchased municipal utilities Københavns Energi and Frederiksberg Forsyning, including their 34% and 2.26% stakes in Energi E2. In May 2005, Ørsted and Vattenfall agreed split of assets in Elsam and Energi E2. Vattenfall received Amager Power Station, Fyn Power Station, Nordjylland Power Station, two decentralised gas-fired plants in Zealand, a portfolio of Danish and international wind activities, and a 30% stake in a German wind development for exchange of Vattenfall's 35% stake in Elsam and 40% stake in the Avedøre 2 Power Station. The agreement and merger of Ørsted, Elsam, NESA, Københavns Energi, and Frederiksberg Forsyning to form Ørsted Energy was approved by the European Commission in 2006 and consequently came into force on 2 July 2006.[9][29]

Due to a reduction in PSO-money, combined heat and power plants receive an estimated DKK 2.5 billion less in 2019.[30]

Competition

The Danish Council decided that the Danish producer Elsam (now Ørsted) abused its dominant position in Denmark to raise prices in the period 2003–2006.[9]

Power outlet

230 V 50 Hz (single phase) and 400 V 50 Hz (three phase) for end-users.

Transmission
High voltage grid of Denmark

Denmark has two separate transmission systems, of which the eastern one is synchronous with Nordic (former NORDEL) and the western one with the synchronous grid of Continental Europe.[31] The 600 MW DC Great Belt Power Link connecting the two systems was commissioned only in July 2010, started commercial operations in August 2010, and was inaugurated on 7 September 2010.[9][32] The Little Belt cables are 400 kV AC at 1,100 MW[33] and replaced overhead wires in 2013.[34] Bornholm is connected to Scania in Sweden through a cable.

The Danish transmission system is owned and operated by Energinet.dk, which was created by a merger of power grid operators Eltra, Elkraft System and Elkraft Transmission, and by natural gas transmission system operator Gastra. The merger took place on 24 August 2005 with retrospective effect from 1 January 2005.[35] Eltra and Elkraft were communally owned by the respective region's distribution companies (Eltra west of the Great Belt and Elkraft east of it). The high-voltage transmission assets were transferred to the Danish State and later to Energinet.dk at no cost.[36] Since 1997, Elkraft and Eltra operated as fully unbundled companies from the power generating companies.[37]

As of 2014, nearly all low-voltage (<10 kV) power lines run as underground cables. For medium voltage around 50-60 kV 40% are buried, while 25% of high-voltage (132-400 kV) are ground cables.[38] As of 2015, Denmark has about 2-3% transmission losses.[39]

Denmark sits at an electricity crossroads between the larger electricity markets in Scandinavia and Germany, and facilitates power trade between these. In 2014, electricity generation was 592 TWh in Germany, 150 TWh in Sweden, 141 TWh in Norway, and 31 TWh in Denmark.[40]

Several direct current cables connect the two Danish systems to neighboring countries. The western Danish power grid is connected to Norway with 1,700 MW (Skagerrak) and Sweden with 740 MW (Konti–Skan). The 700 MW (COBRAcable) connects Jutland and the Netherlands,[41][42] and the 1,400 MW Viking Link is planned to connect Jutland and England.[43]

Larger alternating current connections also exist; 1,780 MW between Germany and Jutland,[44] and a second 400kV AC line is planned between Jutland and Germany.[43]

East Denmark is connected to Germany with 600 MW DC (Kontek) and the 400 MW cable via the Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm.[45][46] Zealand can import 1,700 MW from Sweden (export capacity is less).[47]

Synchronous condensers (syncons) assist grid stability; 3 in the western grid and 2 in the eastern grid, some with capacities reaching -140 to 270 MVAr. A limit of ±15 MVAr is set as a measure of grid quality.[48]

Total export and import capacities were 2,510 MW and 2,870 MW respectively in 2007. The actual import and export capacities were typically 60% of the nominal capacities. Studies showed inefficient markets in 2006.[9][31] In 2014 (before cables to Netherlands and Kriegers), Denmark had an electricity interconnection level (transmission capacity relative to production capacity) of 44%, compared to Slovakia at 61% and Hungary at 29%.[49]

See also

References
  1. Monthly OECD Electricity Statistics
  2. Forbedring af den nationale elprisstatistik for erhverv page 7. Danish Energy Agency
  3. Electricity and natural gas price statistics EuroStat, May 2015.
  4. "Security of electricity supply remains very high in Denmark". Energinet.dk. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  5. "Denmark breaks its own world record in wind energy". EurActiv - EU News & policy debates, across languages.
  6. "New record-breaking year for Danish wind power". Energinet.dk. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016.
  7. "Summary of Environmental Report 2012" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-24. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
  8. Energinet.dk Environmental Reporting
  9. Capacity for Competition, Investing for an Efficient Nordic Electricity Market Report Archived 2010-11-26 at the Wayback Machine, The Nordic competition authorities 1/2007; Capacity and electricity consumption page 58
  10. Energy in Sweden, Facts and figures 2009 and 2010 2009 T25 Archived January 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine and 2010 T49 Archived October 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Afgiftsstruktur gør el langt dyrere end olie CSR.dk, 29 February 2016
  12. Electricity prices%2C first semester of 2017-2019
  13. Forbedring af den nationale elprisstatistik for erhverv page 7. Danish Energy Agency
  14. Electricity prices for industrial consumers Eurostat, October 2015
  15. Electricity prices (table) Eurostat, October 2015
  16. Electricity price statistics EuroStat, November 2019.
  17. "Fremskrivning af PSO-udgifter" page 6+17. Danish Energy Agency, 19 May 2014. Retrieved: 17 January 2015.
  18. "Nye datacentre vil stå for en tredjedel af øget elforbrug i fremtiden – og det kan komme til at koste klimaet og skatteyderne dyrt". Dagbladet Information. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  19. Retningslinjer for udarbejdelsen af den generelle deklaration Archived 2016-03-09 at the Wayback Machine page 10. Energinet.dk, 31 May 2011
  20. "Miljødeklarering af 1 kWh el". Energinet.dk. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  21. "Hvor kommer strømmen fra?". Energinet.dk. 26 August 2015. The environment declaration .. shows what happens in the physical world
  22. Generel deklaration 2014 DONG Energy, 2015
  23. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2019-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) page 4. Energinet.dk. "emissionen per kWh el er reduceret fra 440 g/kWh i 2005 til 182 g/kWh i 2014"
  24. "Rekord lav CO2-udledning fra elforbrug i 2015 Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Machine" Energinet.dk, 1 March 2015.
  25. Shahan, Zachary. Denmark Aiming for 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 CleanTechnica, 28 November 2011. Accessed: 29 November 2011.
  26. Versorgung, Umwandlung, Verbrauch – Elektrizität – jährliche Daten (nrg_105a), Zeitreihe Nettoerzeugung der Pumpspeicherkraftwerke von hauptsächlich als Energieerzeuger tätigen Unternehmen (INDIC_NRG 16_107136). Eurostat, 2017. Retrieved February 2017.
  27. "Global Rankings", Accessed: 24 January 2016.
  28. Boes, Alexander Boye (17 November 2020). "Fuldlasttimer 2020". www.danskfjernvarme.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 29 November 2020.
  29. "Our milestones". Ørsted A/S. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  30. "PSO-usikkerhed lukker kraftvarmeværker". 17 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  31. Gellert, Bjarne Christian. Electricity interconnections Archived 2013-02-09 at the Wayback Machine Energinet.dk, 22 August 2011. Accessed: 6 December 2011.
  32. "The Queen plugged in the Great Belt Power Link" (Press release). Energinet.dk. 2010-09-14. Archived from the original on 2010-11-06. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  33. Little Belt Visual Enhancement Scheme, ABB
  34. "Højspændingskabel under Lillebælt indvies i dag". DR (broadcaster). 5 November 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  35. "History". Energinet.dk. Archived from the original on 2011-03-18. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  36. Energy Policies of IEA Countries - Denmark. 2006 Review (PDF). OECD/IEA. 2006. p. 25. ISBN 92-64-10971-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  37. Regulatory reform in Denmark. OECD. 2000. p. 267. ISBN 978-92-64-17665-2.
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  40. "Net electricity generation, 1990–2014 (thousand GWh)". EuroStat. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  41. "Planned electricity cable between the Netherlands and Denmark". TenneT. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  42. Torben Glar Nielsen. "Energinet.dk has approved the business case for Cobra cable Archived 2014-02-04 at the Wayback Machine" Energinet.dk, 13 January 2014. Accessed: 20 January 2014.
  43. Torben Glar Nielsen. "Denmark set to make billions from electricity interconnector between the UK and Denmark and new interconnection with Germany Archived 2016-03-19 at the Wayback Machine" Energinet.dk, 16 March 2016. Accessed: 16 March 2016.
  44. Skødt, Torben. "Electricity interconnections Archived 2015-10-02 at the Wayback Machine" Energinet.dk, 20 February 2014. Accessed: January 2015.
  45. "Nordic Grid Development Plan 2014 Archived 2015-01-04 at the Wayback Machine" page 59-62, Document no. 13/81818 - 5. Nordic TSOs, August 2014. Accessed: January 2015.
  46. Wittrup, Sanne. "Sjælland får ny, millliard-dyr elforbindelse til Tyskland" Ingeniøren, 19 December 2014. Accessed: January 2015.
  47. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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