Biofuel in Denmark

Biofuels play a major part in the renewable energy strategy of Denmark towards moving to its target of using 100 percent renewable energy for all its energy uses by 2050. Of all the renewable energy sources in Denmark they provide the largest share when considering all sectors of energy demand, even with Denmark's highly develop renewable energy resources in other areas. During 2014 in the heating and cooling sector they provided an estimated 35.3% of domestic energy demand, in the electricity sector they provided 12.7% of demand and in the transport sector approximately 5.3% of demand.^[1][2][2]

Biofuels have the potential to provide environmental and economic benefits but they must be carefully managed to ensure that they are truly sustainable resources as there is the potential to damage the economy and environment if they are not used responsibly. Biofuel use in Europe is certified by the EU commission before they can be recorded as sustainable resources and used for national renewable energy targets. The main sources of biofuels in Denmark include wood and wood products, energy from waste, straw, biogas, biodiesel and bioethanol.

Denmark has been highly innovative in its energy strategy and has greatly increased energy efficiency by using combined heat and power plants (CHP plants). These plants generate both electricity whilst the waste heat is extracted to provide energy to district heating networks with several plants operating at world record levels of energy efficiency. CHP plants in Denmark are being converted to be powered by biofuels and this provides not only energy efficiency but also local markets and sources of income to local communities. Farmers are able to sell waste straw and biogas produced from manure, municipal authorities can provide waste products to heat and power generators. The country has a target of quadrupling energy from biogas by 2020 with the target of using 50% of manure in the country with the gas produced being injected directly into the national gas supply or used for electricity generation.^[3] The small country of Denmark with just 5.7 million people is now being asked to lend its expertise to China to advise it on how to develop fuel flexibility and CHP power and heat generation and associated initiatives to improves the country's vast energy requirements as the workshop of the world.^[4]

Contribution to national energy supply

Heating and cooling sector

*Estimated percentage based on proportion of total data submitted in the progress report.^[2]

In 2014 biofuels combined to provide 99,082 TJ of energy for Denmarks large heating and cooling sector. This equated to approximately 35.33% of the sector in that year.

Electricity sector

Total generation from biofuel sources in Denmark amounted to 3,871 GWh in 2014. Using the IEA unit converter this equates to 13,936 Tj of energy per year and accounted for 12.7% of electricity generated in that year.

Transport sector

*Estimated percentage based on proportion of total data submitted in the progress report.^[2]

Biodiesel and Biethanol provided the transport sector with 9,608 Tj of energy in 2014. This was the equivalent of approximately 5.27% of the sector in that year.

Biofuel sources

RE thermal generation includes electricity generated from biofuels and electricity generated from the fraction of waste that is biodegradable. Since 2010 RE thermalgeneration in Denmark has accounted for approximately 4000 GWh per year.^[6][7][8]

Biofuels also play an increasingly important part in district heating. The proportion of heat generated by biofuels has been rising since the 1980s and by 2013 close to 45% of district heat was produced by renewables.^[9] A rough calculation of the 60% of households provided with district heat would imply that through this means alone renewable fuels provided just over a quarter of Denmark’s heating and hot water needs in that year.

Waste to energy

RE generation from waste reduced a little over the period to 792 GWh in 2014, the reduction being due to less availability of waste and the reduced proportion of waste being classified as renewable energy in 2011. Overall about 2.6% of national electricity was generated by RE generation from waste.^[3] Denmark incinerates close to 3 million tonnes of waste each year to produce electricity and heat, most of it is produced domestically with a smaller share imported from abroad. There are 28 waste incineration plants in the country. The waste powered CHP plants may also co burn additional fossil fuels, including oil and natural gas, but increasingly biomass is used to improve the performance of waste energy production. Only the carbon neutral biodegradable part of waste is classified as renewable energy generation which was defined as 55 percent of total waste from 2011 (in 2009 it was 58.8 percent).^[3] Total waste provided 20 percent of district heating generation and between 4 and 5 percent of electricity generation in the country.^[10] Energy production from waste over the next ten years is expected to remain at similar levels, new pre treatments of waste may however be developed.

Biogas

Biogas generation has been rising steadily from a low base and reached 447 GWh of electricity production in 2014 contributing about 1.5% of Denmarks electricity. Approximately 75% of biogas generating plants are 3 MW or smaller in size which numbered approximately 120 plants in 2015.^[3] A further 15 larger CHP plants account for the remaining approximately 25% of biogas consumption and co-fire biogas, mostly with natural gas. The largest source of Biogas is from manure, other sources include water treatment plants and landfill sites. Many of the smaller plants are located on farms and or other sources of biogas. Smaller biogas plants tend not to contribute heat to district heating networks. Denmark intends to increase production and use of biogas from 4PJ consumption in 2015 to 17 PJ by 2020 with the goal of using 50% of manure in the country.^[3] Most of the new biogas is likely to be injected directly into the gas system and used for industry and transport.

Biomass

Biomass provides the largest share of renewable energy in Denmark when considering the electricity sector, heating and cooling sector and transport sector combined. The fuel contributed to approximately 8.6% of total electricity generation in Denmark generating 2,631 GWh of electricity in 2014.^[3] Total consumption of biomass amounted to 107 PJ in 2013.^[3] There were 39 CHP plants using biomass as a fuel in 2014 consuming approximately 2.7 million tonnes to produce heat and power, corresponding to 40.94 PJ consumption in that year.^[3] Biomass is sometimes co-fired with other fuels including a small percentage that is co-fired with waste. Around 40% of the biomass used in Denmark is imported including the majority of wood pellets.

Electricity generated from biomass increased dramatically in 2010 following in increased share in its use in a number of power plants. Between 2009 and 2014 production of power increased by around 50%. By 2024 biomass is expected to double the percentage of renewable energy share from 15% to 30% of renewable electricity production in Denmark.^[3] Total consumption of Biomass is expected to rise to 115PJ by 2024. A number of power stations are being converted from using coal to using wood pellets as a fuel. Some smaller CHP plants are converting from using natural gas to biomass.

See also

• Renewable energy in Denmark
• Wind power in Denmark
• Solar power in Denmark
• European Commission National Renewable Energy Action Plans
• European Commission renewable energy Progress Reports
• European Commission National Energy Efficiency Energy Action Plans

General references

External links