Denmark's Energy Consumption Falls 1.8% 2004-05 - Press Release

Those poor, impoverished Danes! :sarcasm:

SYNOPSIS: Country is only European nation to be net energy exporter.

Energy efficiency remains high

Gross energy consumption in Denmark fell from 2004 to 2005 by 1.8 per cent. This appears in the preliminary energy statistics for 2005 published by the Energy Authority today. This drop is primarily due to net exports of electricity in 2004 which were replaced by net imports in 2005, resulting in a fall in fuel consumption by Danish power stations.

With adjustments for fluctuations in temperature and foreign trade in electricity, gross energy consumption increased by 0.9 per cent in 2005. Given economic growth for the same period of 3.4 per cent, this increase demonstrates a clear improvement in energy efficiency. Energy intensity therefore fell by 2.4 per cent from 2004 to 2005. This means that each unit of gross domestic product required 2.4 per cent less energy in 2005 than in 2004.

As a result of the shift from net electricity exports to net electricity imports, actual CO2 emissions fell by 5.9 per cent from 2004 to 2005. With adjustments for fluctuations in temperature and foreign trade in electricity, total CO2 emissions rose by 0.6 per cent from 2004 to 2005.

More renewable energy

The preliminary energy statistics for 2005 show that consumption of renewable energy etc. in 2005 rose by 4.5 per cent. Consumption of biomass has grown in particular. Renewable energy etc. is accounting for an ever greater proportion of total energy consumption. In 2005, renewable energy etc. made up 15.8% of adjusted gross energy consumption, as opposed to 15.3% in 2004.


Greater energy production and net foreign exchange revenues
Total Danish energy production in 2005 broke all records at 1,311 PJ. This is 0.7 per cent more than in 2004. The production of crude oil fell by 3.9 per cent, while production of natural gas rose by 10.5 per cent. The increase in production of natural gas is due to greater exports of natural gas rather than changes in domestic consumption, which in fact fell.

In 2005, the degree of self-sufficiency was 155, meaning that in 2005, 55 per cent more energy was produced that consumed in Denmark. Today, Denmark is the only EU country with net exports of energy.

The price of crude oil on world markets rose dramatically in 2005. The average price of Brent crude rose from DKK 228 (approx. EUR 32) per barrel in 2004 to DKK 328 (approx. EUR 46) per barrel in 2005, a rise of 44 per cent.

The average Nord Pool price for Denmark rose by DKK 0.052 corresponding to 23.9 per cent in 2005. For households with an annual consumption of 3,500 kWh, the total consumer price for electricity rose from DKK 1.69 to DKK 1.75 or by 3.6 per cent in 2005.

The higher prices of crude oil and natural gas gave rise to record high net foreign exchange revenues. Net foreign exchange revenues from total energy trading were DKK 22.1 bn. (approx. EUR 3.0 bn.) in 2005 against DKK 17.8 bn. (approx. EUR 2.4 bn.) in 2004.

Fact sheet

A fact sheet is attached of the preliminary figures for 2005 for energy production and consumption as well as CO2 emissions and energy prices. Further information on the energy statistics is available on the Energy Authority website.



EDIT/END

http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=communique&newsid=11996

MODS: Press release, hence included in its entirety.

...each unit of gross domestic product required 2.4 per cent less energy in 2005 than in 2004.

A very important sentence. Just wanted to highlight it.

the statement that says "As a result of the shift from net electricity exports to net electricity imports, actual CO2 emissions fell by 5.9 per cent from 2004 to 2005. With adjustments for fluctuations in temperature and foreign trade in electricity, total CO2 emissions rose by 0.6 per cent from 2004 to 2005..." is curious and seems in the context of the title, somewhat oxymoronic.

I'm also having trouble with the notion that Denmark is the only country in Europe that is a net energy exporter. If they have shifted from exporting electricity to importing electricity, what kind of energy, exactly are they exporting? Coal? Oil? Natural Gas? Biomass?

They are consuming less, importing more and are net exporters? That seems difficult to sort out.

If they needed a lot less for heating during the winter, thier overall use would go down even if they were using more for other purposes. Hence 'temperature adjusted'.

And they do export quite a bit of oil and gas, which more than offsets thier electricity imports (look at the "preliminary figures" pdf from the article). Although I'm also surprised at them being the only exporter - I'd have thought Norway would be up there, too... :shrug:

They have off shore oil fields.

You learn something every day.

I wonder if their leaders kill their own people or if they are terrorists.

and increase their use of renewable energy

and increase their economic output.

Everyone knows this cannot be accomplished without nuclear power.

I smell fraud.

:evilgrin:

is a country that's importing electricity (because they can't make it themselves anymore) while exporting oil.

They should just be grateful for the mild winter... :)

How did they manage that if "they can't make it for themselves anymore"

Denmark has a target of 4000 MW of new offshore wind capacity by 2030 (~40% of Danish electricity consumption) - that doesn't include existing, re-powered or new onshore wind power...

http://www.windpower.org/en/pictures/offshore.htm

nor have they fully exploited their agricultural straw or biogas resources for electricity

or photovoltaics (like Germany).

Doesn't sound like doom and gloom to me...

:)

One mild winter and it all turns to custard. What would be sensible, is if they managed to switch most people over to electric heating (losses and all) - that way, when the cold wind's whipping in from the Baltic their turbines would be spinning like dervishes and they could crank up the thermostat.

How much they can crank up their wind capacity without that depends largely on how much they they can import when the next mild winter hits - and how useful PV would be at 55°N is an very interesting question: 18 hours of daylight in summer, 5 in winter. The grid engineers nightmare... :)

Edit: Actually, I'm being dim - windy winters and 18-hour-days in summer might would complement each other nickel (so long as they have a backup, of course). I'll shut up. :)

:)

All the Danish ISO (equivalent) would have to do is consult an almanac and a local weather report to forecast output from Danish PV arrays.

And, again, the Danes have yet to deploy PV on a large scale (like neighboring Germany) - when they do, these systems will compliment other renewable systems - especially during the summer months.

Also, Copenhagen has a 570 MW(e) combined-heat-and-power biomass plant to see it though those "arctic" Danish winters....They also have a 58+ straw-fired plants (the largest 48 MW).

Furthermore, the Danes import hydroelectricity from Norway during the "wet" part of the hydrological cycle and export it back in the "dry" season - one year's worth of net electricity imports doesn't mean they are disappearing down a rabbit hole.

You know, I think that's the first time I've seen you use MWe without prompting? :P

(and "nickel" in my previous post was supposed to be "nicely". I guess learning to read would complement the spell-check :D).

"..gross energy consumption increased by 0.9 per cent in 2005. Given economic growth for the same period of 3.4 per cent, this increase demonstrates a clear improvement in energy efficiency. Energy intensity therefore fell by 2.4 per cent from 2004 to 2005. This means that each unit of gross domestic product required 2.4 per cent less energy in 2005 than in 2004."