Dan Jørgensen
Danish Minister for climate, energy and utilities.
Perspective
Wind energy
Danish Minister for climate, energy and utilities.
Wind is an abundant renewable energy resource to be developed much further in the future to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and ensure our energy security. By 2020, wind energy accounted for over 15 per cent of electricity consumed in the EU. In Denmark, the leading country in wind energy, it reached almost 50 per cent. Wind energy plays a key role in reaching Denmark’s target of 70 per cent greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030.
Today, wind energy is already a reliable and competitive pillar in the European energy supply – and throughout the world, major countries such as the United States, China, India and Brazil are among the largest investors in wind energy. Wind energy grows in virtually all countries. In Europe, targets and plans are in place to accelerate wind energy much further in the future. In the field of offshore wind energy, plans are to 5-double capacity by 2030 – and to 25-double to 300 GW by 2050.
Denmark is taking bold steps in this direction with plans to establish an artificial island as an energy hub 80 km off the west coast of Denmark. The energy hub will serve as an offshore power plant gathering and distributing green electricity from hundreds of wind turbines surrounding the island directly to consumers in countries surrounding the North Sea.
The energy hub will produce yet unseen amounts of green electricity and is a flagship project for the green transition in Europe. Fully implemented, it will be able to cover the consumption of 10 million European households. As a pioneer and leader in wind energy, Denmark has much to share with its partners: Experience in planning, building and connecting wind energy to the grid ensuring maximum efficiency at lowest cost. We also know how to ensure efficient integration of still larger amounts of wind energy in energy systems – and thereby increase electricity use in the whole economy through sector coupling. Further, Denmark is home to some of the world’s most prominent technological and commercial players in wind energy – eager to share their experience and engagement with partners worldwide.
We invite you to join us. We are ready to engage, and we look forward to continuing the wind journey with our many international partners.