Denmark’s newly-elected (September 15) Social Democratic government has announced a target of meeting half of the country’s electricity demand with windpower by 2020.
This represents an 8% increase on the previous administration’s 42% target. Last year a total installed wind generating capacity of 3.8GW met 25% of the country’s electricity demand.
Denmark is already close to meeting its EU 2020 target of 31% electricity from renewables. It is expected that, due to land shortage and the decommissioning of onshore wind farms, the extra capacity needed to meet the country’s own 50% target will largely come from offshore wind developments.
The new Danish centre-left coalition government, which began its life in office October 3, has also set a 40% CO2 emissions reduction target for 2020. It is aiming to phase out coal from electricity generation by 2030, and for all power and heat consumed in the country to come from renewable energy by 2035.