While electricity consumption in Denmark sets a record, the expansion of green energy is still far too slow - both nationally and locally. This is shown by new figures from Green Power Denmark's Energy Barometer 2024.
Lolland Municipality is among the country's absolute heavyweights when it comes to green electricity production. The municipality ranks second nationwide with an annual production of 924,947 megawatt-hours from solar cells and onshore wind. Only Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality produces more.
Guldborgsund Municipality delivers around 154,000 megawatt-hours per year and ranks 28th nationwide. Vordingborg Municipality produces approximately 111,000 megawatt-hours and ranks 36th.
Top 5 in Denmark - green electricity production 2024:
Ringkøbing-Skjern: 1,445,724 MWh
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Lolland: 924,947 MWh
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Randers: 688,841 MWh
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Holstebro: 641,884 MWh
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Jammerbugt: 633,918 MWh
Source: Green Power Denmark, Energy Barometer 2024
In all three municipalities, the picture is the same: No new onshore wind turbines have been erected in 2024. The expansion is limited to minor extensions in the solar cell area.
Slow expansion nationwide
The trend is not only local. 2024 is set to be the third worst year for the installation of new onshore wind turbines in Denmark since 2016. In the first half of the year, only 12 new turbines have been installed nationwide.
At the same time, electricity consumption has increased by 5.1 percent in 2024 and has reached the highest level ever. More electric cars, more heat pumps, and increasing electrification in the industry are driving consumption up.
Despite the growth in electricity consumption, the expansion with new facilities has not kept pace, neither in the region nor nationally.
A Denmark in green imbalance
According to the Energy Barometer, Denmark needs a significantly larger annual expansion of both solar cells and onshore wind to cover future electricity consumption with renewable energy. The report points out that the current development is putting pressure on the energy system and may make the transition more difficult.
Lolland, Guldborgsund, and Vordingborg Municipalities already produce large amounts of green electricity, especially from existing wind turbines, but without continued technical and physical expansion, the balance between production and consumption risks changing.
Green Power Denmark highlights that a continued high pace in the expansion of green energy is necessary to support both the green transition and a stable energy market.
