DONG Energy to stop all use of coal by 2023
DONG Energy has decided that by 2023, coal will no longer be used as fuel at the company's power stations. The decision is a result of the company's vision to lead the way in the transformation to a sustainable energy system and to create a leading green energy company.
Since 2006, DONG Energy has reduced its coal consumption by 73 per cent, and the company has now decided to entirely phase out the use of coal. By 2023, the use of coal as fuel at DONG Energy's power stations will have stopped completely. The power stations will be replacing coal with sustainable biomass.
"We've decided to take the final step and phase out the use of coal at all our power stations. The future belongs to renewable energy sources, and therefore we're now converting the last of our coal-fired power stations to sustainable biomass. The decision is in line with our vision to lead the way in the transformation to a sustainable energy system and create a leading green energy company," says Henrik Poulsen, CEO.
Coal is still one of the most commonly used fuels worldwide. Around 40 per cent of the world's electricity is produced from coal, even though coal is the fuel emitting the most CO2. DONG Energy is the first among the large European energy companies to decide to phase out coal for the production of electricity and heating completely.
73% less coal since 2006
Since 2006, DONG Energy has reduced its coal consumption by 73 per cent through a reduction in the number of power stations as well as conversions to sustainable biomass instead of coal. At the same time, the company has constructed more production capacity based on offshore wind than any other company in the world. This means that in just one decade, DONG Energy will have gone from being one of the most coal-intensive utilities in Europe to being among the greenest energy companies in Europe.
Since 2002, DONG Energy has used wood pellets and wood chips as fuel at both Herning Power Station and Avedøre Power Station, and over the years, the company has increased the share of biomass at the two power stations. In 2016, both Studstrup Power Station near Aarhus and Avedøre Power Station near Copenhagen were converted to run 100 per cent on wood pellets and straw, and during the spring of 2017, Skærbæk Power Station near Fredericia will be able to run 100 per cent on wood chips.
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