JANUARY 2, 2020
Denmark sets record, sourcing almost half of power from wind. – Getty Images
COPENHAGEN – Denmark has reportedly set a record by sourcing almost half of its power from wind energy.
The European country received 47 percent of its electricity from wind in 2019, based on preliminary data, the grid operator Energinet said Thursday, according to Reuters. This is an increase from wind accounting for 41 percent of the power in 2018, and it also bypasses the 2017 record of 43 percent.
The boost is credited to big cost reductions and improved offshore technology, including the Horns Rev 3 offshore wind that opened in the North Sea in August, according to the news wire.
Denmark is ahead of other European countries in terms of wind power, with Ireland following collecting 28 percent of its power from wind in 2018, according to a report from WindEurope.
But Europe does lead the world in wind power, with 14 percent of power consumption across the European Union attributed to wind in 2018, the report said.
The International Energy Agency reported that wind power is expected to increase 15-fold in the next 20 years, from its current status of producing 0.3 percent of the global energy consumption, Reuters reported. Denmark has a goal to curtail greenhouse emissions by 70 percent in the next 10 years.
Courtesy/Source: The Hill
