Twenty-four years ago Denmark built its first wind turbine. Today, this Scandinavian country is a global leader in wind power, spreading its knowhow across Europe, Asia and North America.
According to a report by Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, Denmark now has 14 wind farms and more than 300 wind energy companies employing as many as 25,000 people. Wind now covers up to 40% of domestic electricity demand.
By 2020, Denmark will produce half of its electricity from wind. The country will be free from fossil fuels by 2050.
The country’s “green roots”, according to the report, were planted in 1973 when members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) stopped shipping oil to Europe, driving prices up dramatically. This is when Denmark decided to develop its own oil and gas reserves – and to invest in wind power – to protect itself from future shocks.
“The story of wind in Denmark is driven by pioneers and by politics,” Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Energy Association, told Deutsche Welle. “We decided we would not be dependent on fossil fuels in the future.”
So it makes sense that Denmark’s capital city of Copenhagen hosted this year’s conference of the European Wind Energy Association. The event attracted more than 8,000 people, from scientists and engineers to manufactures and government officials from around the world.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/danes-energising-wind-power/