Denmark no longer energy self sufficient

After nearly a decade of supporting its own needs, Denmark is no longer energy self-sufficient according to preliminary government statistics. Ministers said this was evidence the country must become an […]

After nearly a decade of supporting its own needs, Denmark is no longer energy self-sufficient according to preliminary government statistics.

Ministers said this was evidence the country must become an energy-efficient society that runs on renewable energy.

Figures released on Friday showed that for the first time since 1996, Denmark imported more energy than it exported.

Denmark became self-sufficient in energy in 1997 and in 2004 it produced 56% more energy than it consumed.

But the Danish Energy Department said since 2004 the country’s self-sufficiency has fallen as a result of declining oil and gas production from the North Sea.

From providing 102% of its energy in 2012, this dropped to 93% in 2013.

Despite this Denmark was still a net exporter with a self-sufficiency rate of 132% in 2013, according to the Government’s calculation of the ratio between primary energy production and consumption of energy.

The figures also showed a continued rise in the use of renewable energy. Energy consumption sloped up from 23.4% in 2012 to 24.5% in 2013 mainly because of wind and solar energy.

Danish Climate, Energy and Building Minister Rasmus Petersen said: “The goal of our climate policy in the long term to avoid the use of fossil fuels. It happens to be the same, we need to do to ensure our independence. We need to use energy efficiently and we need to produce our own energy from wind, biomass and solar.”

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