Danish wind power sets new world record
Many hours of 'wind surplus' in the power system
In Jutland and on the island Funen, wind power actually supplied more electricity than the total consumption for more than 1,460 hours of the year 2015.For more that 1460 out of 8760 hours of the year, the western Danish part of the power system (DK1) produced wind power that exceeded the total consumption in the Western part of Denmark.
It is as such not unusual with hours where wind production exceeds consumption, but that this is now the case up to one sixth of the time in the Western Danish grid illustrates that with increasingly more fluctuating production, we benefit even more from import and export across international borders. If we for some hours have a lot of wind energy, producers sell it to consumers in Norway, Sweden and Germany, and vice versa; in Denmark we buy e.g. hydropower from Norway, solar energy from Germany and power stattion electricity from Sweden, when it is worthwhile.
Carsten Vittrup, Energy Strategic Advisor at Energinet.dk, stresses that the Danish power plants and combined heat and power plants still play a large and important role in the Danish electricity supply. The power plants provide flexibility and produce electricity when there is little production from wind and sun.
The Danish Parliament’s goal is that wind power in 2020, should constitute 50 percent of the Danish electricity consumption. Forecasts indicate that the goal will be achieved.
“Danish energy policy is a fantastic growth engine“
Overall, Denmark had more than 409 hours of the year, where the wind production exceeded the total Danish electricity consumption.
One of the main reasons that 2015 became a record year is that it has been a very windy year, whereas 2014 was a normal wind year. On the other hand, two wind farms, Anholt and Horns Rev 2, have been out of service for 1 and 2 months due to cable faults. If there had not been this extraordinary long time period of cable fault, the wind percentage would have been approximately 43.5 percent.
Wind power share of total power consumption in Denmark over the past 10 years:
- 2015: 42.1%
- 2014: 39.1%
- 2013: 32.7%
- 2012: 30.0%
- 2011: 28.3%
- 2010: 22.0%
- 2009: 19.4%
- 2008: 19.3%
- 2007: 19.9%
- 2006: 17.0%
- 2005: 18.7%
We must continue to set sensational world records as part of the Danish showcase. This way, we can reap the benefits of our many years of focus on wind energy. This is exactly what makes the Danish energy policy a fantastic growth engine.