WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF OUR ELECTRICITY AND GAS SYSTEMS?

“The green transition will significantly affect and transform our energy system as we move towards 2040. That is why Energinet has just published reports that focus on the needs of our future Danish energy system and provides an overview of potential solutions. These will form the basis for a close dialogue across society and our stakeholders enabling Energinet to plan for the best possible green transition at the lowest possible price.

The Danish energy system is facing major changes, and these changes might become visible in the landscape affecting people living in these areas.

– For us to be able to support the transition for green energy and ensure that this is done as efficiently and gently as possible for landowners and neighbors, we need input on how to expand and restructure the electricity and gas systems – even if some of these changes may first occur in many years, says Stine Grenaa, Vice President of System Development at Energinet.

By 2040, the power grid must be able to carry twice as much electricity. By then we need electricity for many more things, including electric cars as we phase out petrol and diesel – and in electric heat pumps in private houses and district heating. Furthermore, the electricity must be carried over much greater distances: As the power plants close or run for fewer hours, the electricity production will no longer take place close to the big cities and consumption centers but far out at sea by wind turbines or in sparsely populated areas by new photovoltaic systems.

At the same time, our future gas consumption will derive from biogas plants scattered across the country – and the consumption will decrease. However, some industrial companies located in different places across Denmark will continue to request gas. Therefore, there will still be a need for transporting the gas, just as there may be a need for transport of hydrogen through an infrastructure that may not yet be established.

– We will see changes in the energy system but not all are equally predictable. For example, we expect a lot of green electricity to be transformed into hydrogen and other green fuels for heavy transport, ships and, in the long run, aircraft as well. But it is still difficult to say how much green electricity we will be able to produce in Denmark and where and how the energy will be transported, says Stine Grenaa, while pointing out that it is important for Energinet that the future planning is largely based on a close dialogue with its stakeholders.”