Power outages in Denmark are extremely rare compared to other European countries. Recently released figures contained in the Council of European Energy Regulators’ (CEER) annual Benchmarking Report on the Continuity of Electricity and Gas Supply reveal that when measuring the total amount of minutes per year of power outages in each of the 28 European Union (EU) member states, Denmark experiences the least.

For a number of years, Denmark has enjoyed a stable power supply. The report reveals that in 2016 (the most recent year that data for all 28-member states is available) power outages in Denmark accounted for a miniscule 19 minutes annually, a result that no other country other than Switzerland matches. For comparison, Denmark’s closest neighbours Sweden and Norway experienced 94 and 129 minutes of power outages respectively in 2016.

-Related news: Denmark’s security of supply remains among the highest in Europe

“The numbers make it clear that when it comes to ensuring a high security of supply, the Danish electricity grid companies are among the best in the world and they do it at a price that is among the lowest in the EU. This shows that the ownership and operation model for the electricity grid companies in Denmark benefits consumers,” says Anders Stouge, Deputy CEO of the Danish Energy Association.

He continues: “Even though the power supply is dependent on wind and sun, the electricity grid companies manage to ensure that there is power in the socket 99.99% of the time for customers and companies in Denmark. This is no small feat when we look at how other countries perform. The report demonstrates that the Danish electricity grid companies get an A for their performance”.

Due diligence with underground cables
Countries such as Romania, Croatia and Lithuania are found at the bottom of the list with power outages that amount to between 6 - 9 hours per year.

One of the reasons behind Denmark’s stable grid operations is a comprehensive transformation from vulnerable overhead power lines to underground ones. While Denmark made the switch a number of years ago, most European countries have not.

-Related news: Denmark tops Energy Trilemma Index third year running

According the CEER, Denmark and Holland are the only two countries in Europe where both the low and medium voltage grids are cabled underground.

To read the report in full, click here.

-Source: Danish Energy Association