Wind turbines supplied enough power to cover 43.4% of Denmark’s electricity consumption in 2017. This is the highest share ever recorded, overturning the previous record set in 2015.

The year 2017 in Denmark ended on a wet and windy note. However, preliminary data from the Danish transmission system operator, Energinet, reveals that 2017 in its entirety was a year with plentiful wind, with wind turbines in the country producing 14,700 GWh.

These figures constitute a new annual record for wind energy production in Denmark. The country’s combined total of wind turbines produced enough green energy to cover 43.4% of the Denmark’s total electricity consumption in 2017, breaking the previous record of 42% set in 2015.

The increasing ability of wind energy to cover Denmark’s electricity needs highlights that wind energy is rapidly cementing its place as a stable, inexpensive and clean alternative to fossil fuels. What’s more is that they are highly effective. While wind turbines are providing an ever-growing share of the country’s electricity supply, the actual number of turbines in the country has fallen. Today, there are approximately 20% fewer wind turbines in the country than there were in 2001, where the number of turbines peaked. Despite this, the amount of installed capacity in Denmark has doubled since 2001, with fewer, but larger wind turbines being able to produce more energy. Currently, there is installed 5.3 GW of capacity in the country, both on- and offshore.

By 2020, wind energy is expected to cover 50% of Denmark’s electricity consumption. Renewable energy in total, which also includes solar power and sustainable biomass, is expected to cover 80% of electricity consumption.

Source: stateofgreen.com
Photo: Nicolai Perjesi/VisitDenmark.com