Efficient utilisation of coal
For many years to come, the global demand for energy will continue to rely on coal and other fossil fuels. Therefore, it is essential that we use these resources as efficiently and responsibly as possible, and solve the CO2 problem.
Today, if all the coal-fired power plants in the world used DONG Energy’s state-of-the-art technology, CO2 emissions from coal would be reduced by 30%. Moreover, coal interacts efficiently with wind power, another DONG Energy specialty.
Doubling the world’s energy production
The world’s consumption of energy is increasing rapidly as populations around the world increase their living standards. Everywhere, we see major investments in the energy sector to meet this demand. The International Energy Agency predicts that we will see almost a doubling of the energy production from 2004 to 2030 – and that energy production based on coal will more than double. In China, for instance, two new power plants open each week.
Coal in the Danish energy system
In Denmark, coal is also an important energy source in the generation of power and heat. In the long term, it would be desirable if renewable energy formed the basis of energy production and if thermal power plants could be used as flexible capacity when the wind is not strong enough or water levels are low. In the foreseeable future, however, most energy produced in Denmark will continue to be based on coal and other fossil fuels.
Efficient application of coal
DONG Energy has contributed to the development of the world’s best power-plant technologies. This enables us to generate power very efficiently. In fact, when our coal-fired units are operating at their most efficient, we are able to utilise around 45% of the fuel’s energy content. On a global scale, the average energy utilisation is only around 31%. Thus, if all the coal-fired power plants in the world used DONG Energy’s state-of-the-art technology, global CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants would be reduced by around 30%.
Combined power and heat generation
Denmark has a unique tradition for combining power and heat generation. The surplus heat resulting from the generation of power is transmitted to district heating plants and to individual users. When the surplus heat is used this way, the fuel is utilised even more efficiently than if we only generated power. All in all, we utilise close to 90% of the energy content of the fuel when we combine the production of power and heat.