Denmark’s Energy Transition Journey: Leading Example for a Fossils-Free Future
Denmark’s Energy Transition Journey: Leading Example for a Fossils-Free Future
Yesterday, Bioenergy Europe’s Secretary General, Jean-Marc Jossart, attended the conference "Accélérer la décarbonation et l’efficacité énergétique dans l’industrie" at the Maison du Danemark in Paris. The event, opened by the Danish Ambassador to Paris, provided a valuable opportunity for France and Denmark to learn from each other’s experiences and strategies in the journey toward industrial defossilisation.
Denmark holds a privileged position, having embarked on a successful journey toward energy transition for many years. Today, bioenergy is the cornerstone of Denmark’s energy mix, representing over 75% of the country’s total renewable energy consumption. Through the years, biomass has been crucial in converting coal-fired power plants to cleaner energy sources, using mainly wood chips, pellets and straw. This Danish experience was presented as an example for other EU countries to defossilise their industry and energy systems.
Panellists also presented France’s plan for a fossils-free industry, introducing the 2015 Stratégie Nationale Bas Carbone (SNBC) as a key moment in this journey. For French industries, the strategy translates into an 81% reduction in emissions by 2050. Currently, the industry accounts for 20% of France’s greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal to reduce these emissions by 50% by 2032. The attendants highlighted that to achieve this, industrial players need work on several fronts, including energy efficiency and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, such as bioenergy. Industrial players are not left alone in this, as the industrial sector has the possibility to access to several funding opportunities to accelerate the industrial decarbonisation. The BCIAT (Biomass Chaleur pour l’ Industrie, l’Agriculture et le Tertaire) is part of the Heat Fund (Fonds Chaleur) and provides up to 65% support to investment. Projects are selected mainly (70% of the quote) on the base of the lowest public inventive per ton CO2 saved, what is a very meaningful criteria.
Bioenergy Europe joined one of the opening panels at the conference, discussing the impact of EU legislation and the regulatory landscape on bioenergy and biomass use. The presentation analysed how various EU files affect the sector, with a focus on RED (renewable directive) and CRCF (carbon removal). Additionally, it provided an overview of EU level carbon-neutrality targets, highlighting the critical role of bioenergy in supporting these goals. This included insights from the latest French National Energy and Climate Plan, emphasizing bioenergy’s contribution to achieving national and European decarbonization objectives.
