Combined heat and power
For Else Bernsen, project manager in COWI Denmark within Energy, a key factor in exploiting renewable energy is greater international investment in developing and boosting production of combined heat and power (CHP), which provides houses with heat and electricity at the same time.
"The advantage of CHP is not only that energy is used more efficiently but that it can be fuelled by biomass – waste, woodchips, straw – on which just under half of all CHP production in Denmark is based," she says.
Biomass
Hans Jørgen Koch, international director of the Danish Energy Agency, detects growing international interest in biomass and waste as fuel, as well as the development of biofuel.
He says, "First generation bio-ethanol, derived from crops such as corn, sugar beet and rape seed, is both energy-intensive and land-hungry. However, significant research is being carried out into the use of second generation biofuel - straw, wood and grass - which can be converted into biofuel using enzymes and low levels of energy."
100 percent is possible
Henrik Lund, professor of Energy Planning at Aalborg University, Denmark, believes that as early as 2050 renewable energy can feasibly meet 100 percent of the country's demands.
"Denmark will be able to achieve zero fossil fuel consumption by further cuts in total energy consumption, extending CHP and making it even more efficient, doubling the capacity of wind and wave power and photovoltaics, and transferring half of freight haulage to electric railways." By Kathrine Schmeichel, kats@cowi.dk Published: 26.04.2007