Wind turbines at the Danish island Bornholm at an open day event during Global Wind Power day. Photocredit: Danish Wind Industry Association.
By Anders Lorenzen"
Denmark's 5,229 wind turbines have produced yet another record.
This time the record applies to how much wind turbines contributed to the Danish grid in the first half of 2014. Wind power's share of the electricity was staggering high at 41.2 percent and quickly nearing a 50 percent share, confirming Denmark as an absolute leader in this field. Denmark's wind power capacity now stands at an impressive 4.8 megawatts (MW), this number is predicted to rise as several new wind power projects are in the pipeline, both onshore and offshore.
The top month for wind power generation was January as extraordinary windy weather resulted in wind power generation of 61,7 percent.
The new record for the first part of 2014 is especially impressive as the first part of 2013 recorded 31 percent, which means an increase of 10 percent.
In 2013 Denmark added 258 new wind turbines with a total generation capacity of 695 MW, however 49 wind turbines were also taken down which means that the total added capacity from 2013 were 650 MW.
The high proportion of wind power in the grid, combined with the mild and wet winter with large quantities of water to the Nordic hydropower stations meant that the price of electricity was pressed down to a very low number, that has not been seen since the first part of 2007.
Energinet which runs the Danish grid says that the high levels of wind power did not result in problems in balancing the grid as power stations can turn up and down capacity as needed as well as good grid connections to neighboring Norway, Sweden and Germany.
As these stats only accounts for wind power, the number for all Danish renewables will be higher, particularly solar power, second generation of biomass as well as small wind turbines which are not counted.
Wind power's share on the Danish grid has grown year on year since stats were first produced in 2003, but never has the jump been as large as that between 2013 and 2014. But as this is only for the first part of 2014, the real test will be if it is still on the 41 percent mark come end of the year.
"Sub edited by Charlotte Paton"
Related news:
Opinion: We need more onshore wind turbines, not less
Denmark in world wind power record
Denmark: largest offshore wind farm opened
