Denmark's Anaes Power Station can phase out coal
Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, Kalundborg Forsyning and DONG Energy, have signed a 20-year PPA to enable a complete phase-out of coal of Denmark's largest coal-fired power station unit.
This new agreement ensures that in future, Asnæs Power Station will supply green energy to Novo Nordisk, Novozymes and district heating customers in Kalundborg. The estimated investment will reach DKK 1.2 billion (US$180 million).
The 20-year steam and district heating contract involves a conversion of Asnæs Power Station and the connection of a new wood chip-fired plant to the power station's existing installations and systems. This will enable Asnæs Power Station to supply steam, district heating and power from sustainable wood chips from the end of 2019. Kalundborg is thereby retaining the advantages of the symbiosis between power station production, steam supply and district heating.
The conversion from coal to wood chips at Asnæs Power Station will result in an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of around 800,000 tonnes. This corresponds to the annual CO2 emissions from more than 400,000 cars, and the new agreement thereby contributes significantly to Denmark's green conversion.
The wood chips for Asnæs Power Station will primarily come from by-products, such as branches, twigs and thinning trees, and all suppliers must ensure that the wood chips come from sustainable forestry where the forests are replanted, and biodiversity is protected. The conversion of Asnæs Power Station will begin in the summer 2017, and the power station is expected to be ready for wood chip-fired production by the end of 2019.
Thomas Dalsgaard, Executive Vice President in DONG Energy, says:
I'm very pleased that we now have an agreement regarding Asnæs Power Station. The future belongs to sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass. We'll therefore be phasing out all use of coal at our power stations by 2023, and the decision, which was made together with our customers, is an important step on the way.
