Energy Strategy 2050 – from coal, oil and gas

In 2050 Denmark could well be a wealthy society which
uses considerably less energy than at present and which
covers its energy needs with renewable energy sources.
This is clear from the analyses by the Danish Commission
on Climate Change Policy. The great challenge is to
ensure an appropriate transition process. Over the next
40 years more or less the entire energy system will be replaced.
In some areas, the consequences of investments
and decisions made now will have an impact right up to
2050. Therefore, it is important that energy policy supports
the goal of fossil fuel independence. Without this,
the goal will be harder and more expensive to reach.
Denmark also has a number of energy and climate policy
goals which set the scene for immediate measures.
Therefore, it is necessary to adopt initiatives pointing
towards the long-term goal of fossil fuel independence,
and which contribute to meeting goals in the short and
medium term. Energy efficiency and renewables are the
two key focus areas to put Denmark on track to meeting
the long-term goal of fossil fuel independence and
to help meet the 2020 targets of increasing the share of
renewables, reducing gross energy consumption, and
reducing non-ETS greenhouse gas emissions.
Measures should be organised cost effectively to achieve
the highest levels of security of supply and reductions
in fossil fuels for each DKK invested. This means that
measures should be targeted, and timing is vital. On the
one hand measures should not be forced through with
unnecessarily high expenditure right now. On the other
hand, the benefits of less dependence on fossil fuels and
lower greenhouse gas emissions also have value in the
years up to 2050.
Measures should be organised cost effectively
to achieve the highest levels of security of sup-
ply and reductions in fossil fuels
An energy and transport system
without fossil fuels
Achievement of fossil fuel independence requires efficiency
improvements in energy consumption to a level
which can be covered by massive renewable energy
expansion – although we will still exchange energy (electricity,
biomass, biofuels etc.) with the world around us.
The transition is outlined very generally in figure 2.1.
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
PJ/year
0
Households
Trade and service
Production
Transport
Ef�ciency improvements
RE
(possibly also CCS)
Figure 2.1. Energy consumption and renewable energy
2009. Source: Danish Energy Agency
Energy Strategy 2050 – from coal, oil and gas to green energy.
Waste
Other RE
Biogas
Wood
Straw
Wind
Energy consumption 2009 Renewable energy consumption 2009
17