Denmark Energy Information

Total Energy Consumption

Denmark's consumption per capita is slightly lower than the EU average at 2.9 toe/cap and around 5 500 kWh/cap of electricity in 2019.

Total energy consumption, which increased by 1.5%/year from 2016 to 2018, declined by 0.4% in 2019. According to the Danish Energy Agency, gross energy consumption fell by 8.5% in 2020.

Graph: CONSUMPTION TRENDS BY ENERGY SOURCE (Mtoe)

Interactive Chart Denmark Total Energy Consumption

Crude Oil Production

Oil production has been on a downward trend since 2004, decreasing by an average of 8.4%/year to 5.1 Mt in 2019. It is estimated to have dropped by 30% in 2020. Oil production took off in the eighties and tripled between 1990 and 2000, reaching 18 Mt in 2000. It then remained stable at around 18-19 Mt until 2004.

Crude oil exports are following the decline in oil production (2.5 Mt in 2019). Denmark imports increasing volumes of oil, from 8.5 Mt in 1990 to 12.4 Mt in 2019 (5 Mt of crude oil and 7.4 Mt of refined products). Denmark became a net crude oil importer in 2017.

Interactive Chart Denmark Crude Oil Production

Oil Products Consumption

Oil consumption increased, on average, by 1.5%/year between 2015 and 2019. It dropped by 13% in 2020 according to DEA.

Transport absorbs 70% of oil product consumption (2019).

Graph: OIL CONSUMPTION (Mt)

Graph: OIL CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2019, %)

Interactive Chart Denmark Refined Oil Products Production

Natural Gas Consumption

After a peak in 2010 at 5 bcm, gas consumption declined by 10%/year between 2010 and 2014 and has remained stable at around 3.2 bcm over 2014-2019. It dropped by 21% in 2020 according to DEA.

In 2019, the oil and gas industry accounted for 29% of gas consumption, followed by the residential, services, and agriculture sectors (29%) and industry (25%). The remainder (17%) is used in the power sector.

Graph: NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION (bcm)

Interactive Chart Denmark Natural Gas Domestic Consumption

Coal Consumption

Coal consumption is almost exclusively used by the power sector (88% in 2019). Since 2006, consumption has fallen by 11%/year on average, due to the surge in wind power generation and conversions of coal-fired units to biomass.

Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION (Mt)

Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2019, %)

Interactive Chart Denmark Coal and Lignite Domestic Consumption

Power Consumption

Electricity consumption has remained broadly stable since 2015 at around 32 TWh. It declined by 1.1%/year between 2006 and 2015.

Services and the residential sector are the two largest consumers of electricity consumption in 2019, with 33% and 30%, respectively, followed by industry (27%).

Graph: ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION (TWh)

Graph: ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2019,%)

Renewable in % Electricity Production

According to the 2012 Energy Agreement, Denmark aims to raise the share of renewables to more than 35% of final energy consumption in 2020; this level was already reached in 2018 (35.7%, including 62.4% in electricity consumption, 46.7% in heating and 6.6% in transport). Renewables are expected to cover 100% of power consumption in 2027 and 55% of the energy mix in 2030 under the 2018 Energy Agreement and the NECP.

Interactive Chart Denmark Share of Renewables in Electricity Production (incl hydro)

CO₂ Fuel Combustion/CO₂ Emissions

In 2019, the government adopted a legally binding national Climate Act with an objective of reducing GHG emissions by 70% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and moving towards net-zero emissions by 2050. The new regulation creates a mechanism with a five-year cycle designed to ensure both early actions and to revise the reduction targets. In addition, every year, the Danish government will have to present Climate Action Programmes with concrete initiatives to decarbonise every sector of the economy.