Visit to the Danish Energy Agency

I was very fortunate to get a meeting with Henrik Christiansen, Head of Section for Bioenergy, and hear about Denmark's energy plans for the next 10 years or so.  In Henrik's mind, no matter how sophisticated the research and technology becomes everything must be based on "savings, savings, savings" and he never grows tired of telling the thousands of delegations which come through the Agency's doors a clear message for them to push at the Climate Convention in Copenhagen this December.  

In addition to boosting power from wind to make up 50% of Denmarks Renewable Energy Production, the Danes are storming ahead with developing smart grids or "eco grids" to better regulate the fluctutations of renewable input into the grid system.  They hope the development of electric cars will help regulate this to some extent (but this could be a while off yet).   They continue to make their huge and dencentralised district heating systems and combined heat and power plants more efficient and Henrik is working on methane gasification efficiency programes.  One of the main reasons that Denmark is having so much success on the renewables front is because no matter what party is in power nationally, there is cross-party concensus from all parties to take forward their RE plans.

My second meeting in Copenhagen was with Hans Christian Sorensen,  Vice-President of European Ocean Energy and a Director on the board of the Wind Turbine Owners Association.  Hans was one of the Project Managers in the setting up of Middelgrunden (the world`s largest wind cooperative) back in 2001.  As well as hearing about the strong culture of cooperatives in Denmark, Hans explained that only now, after 8 years or so, there are incentives via the new Renewable Energy Law which states that all new Wind energy projects must allow 20% of shares to communities and individuals.  Hans is currently developing a new cooperative (near Copenhagen airport) as well as a Tidal project "Wave Dragon" off the coast of Wales.