23 / 120
BEMIP Gas Regional Investment Plan 2017 |
23
3.1 Denmark
3.1.1 ENERGY POLICY
The Danish government has a long-term objective that Denmark is to become
independent of fossil fuels by the year 2050 and that while pursuing this objective
Denmark must continue to be one of the leading countries in the green transition.
The basis for this is a broad parliamentarian agreement (2012–2020) focusing on
increased energy efficiency, more renewable energy, smart grid strategy, better
framework for biogas and electricity/biomass in the transport sector.
Recently the Danish government has established an Energy Commission that will
analyse and assess trends in the energy sector and make recommendations for a
cost-effective Danish energy policy for the period 2020–2030. The Energy Commis-
sion is expected to publish recommendations for the Danish energy policy in 2017.
The national energy policy is also reflecting the commitments to the international
climate agreements and the EU targets. International cooperation is seen as vital for
handing the climate issue and ensuring a more cost effective energy transition.
More recently, Denmark has taken initiative to host the annual EU Energy Infrastruc-
ture Forum that is facilitating the development of the European gas and electricity
infrastructure that is in need of significant developments estimated to 200 billion
euros towards 2020.
The current energy policy has on the one hand resulted in increasing production of
biogas, but on the other hand, it has also resulted in reduced consumption of natural
gas. This is due to increased energy efficiency and increased use of tax exempted
biomass for CHP. The current government has no coherent strategy for the use of
natural gas in the transport sector.
3.1.2 MARKET PLAYERS
Owners of the physical infrastructure include:
\\
Energinet.dk
is the gas transmission company in Denmark that owns and
operates the natural gas transmission system. Energinet.dk ensures the large
gas pipelines to be available on equal term to all who want to transport gas in
Denmark. The capacity is sold through PRISMA at competitive transmission
tariffs.
\\
HMN Naturgas, Nature Energy Distribution, Gasforsyningen Aalborg and
Danish Gas Distribution
(owned by Energinet.dk). They own and operate the
distribution system, which is divided into six distributions areas.
\\
Energinet.dk Gas Storage
owns and operates the two gas storage facilities in
Denmark, one at Stenlille on Zealand, and one at Lille Torup in Northern
Jutland. Energinet.dk Gas Storage offers flexible and custom-made storage
products.
There is a consolidation-taking place in the Danish gas market. In 2014, Energinet.dk
acquired the gas storage facility (Stenlille) from DONG Energy and created one
company, Energinet.dk Gas Storage that owns and operates the two gas storage
facilities in Denmark. In autumn 2016, Energinet.dk took over the ownership of
DONG Gas Distribution and renamed the company “Danish Gas Distribution”
(Dansk Gasdistribution).