China and Denmark Continuously Deepen Cooperation in the Field of Climate and Energy

Governments around the world are gradually increasing their use of renewable energy, and Denmark has always been highly concerned about the development and utilization of renewable resources. Recently, the Danish Ministry of Finance announced an ambitious new plan to increase its wind power production capacity. Denmark will build two “energy islands” specifically designed for clean energy facilities, which can provide up to 4GW of offshore wind energy to the country, which is “more than twice” the country’s current offshore power generation. In the future, these islands can provide up to 10GW of wind energy.

It is understood that the Energy Island is a natural island or artificial platform that serves as the hub for generating electricity from surrounding offshore wind farms and transports it to various countries in the North Sea region. Energy islands can improve the utilization rate of offshore wind power in deep sea areas, thereby creating greater space for the development of offshore wind power in the European energy system. In addition, it can relatively reduce investment in onshore transmission cables and power system reinforcement. The current plan period for Denmark to establish these islands is 2030. In addition, in addition to the “new era” of this energy island, Denmark also hopes to promote more clean energy measures. These measures will include a government led overall investment in green energy, a transition to the green waste utilization sector (as well as promoting recycling), an attempt to ensure the Danish people’s “environmental enthusiasm”, and improving green energy efficiency.

Due to Denmark’s significant impact on the development and utilization of renewable resources, cooperation between China and Denmark in the fields of energy and climate is becoming increasingly close. The cooperation between China and Denmark in the fields of energy and climate began 15 years ago. In 2005, the two countries launched a cooperation agreement on wind energy projects, aimed at helping China increase the proportion of sustainable energy in its energy structure. In 2009, the two governments established the “China Denmark Renewable Energy Development Project”. Based on the experience of institutional capacity building in Denmark to promote renewable energy development, the project conducted extensive research and demonstration on the establishment of a national renewable energy center.

In 2011, the National Energy Administration established the National Renewable Energy Center based on the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, which is widely regarded as the core institution for renewable energy analysis in China. The National Renewable Energy Center has very close cooperation with Danish energy policy experts, especially the Danish Energy Agency. Both sides jointly develop strategic energy policies and use the most advanced methods and tools to expand the use of renewable energy in China’s energy system.

In 2017, the Danish Energy Agency and the National Energy Conservation Center of China signed a pilot project agreement aimed at promoting regional heating in China in a more efficient, long-term, and comprehensive direction.

In the same year, the Danish Ministry of Energy and Climate and the National Energy Administration of China reached an agreement to carry out the “offshore wind power cooperation project”. This project utilizes Danish experience to assist relevant Chinese institutions in developing strategies, policies, and solutions related to offshore wind power, in order to achieve China’s long-term goal of utilizing offshore wind energy.

One of the important achievements of energy cooperation between the two countries is the joint preparation of the “China Renewable Energy Annual Outlook”. At the 25th United Nations Climate Change conference in 2019, Danish Minister of Climate and Energy Johansen and Chinese Vice Minister of Environmental Protection Zhao Yingming attended the press conference of China Renewable Energy 2019 Outlook. This report provides important data and visionary solutions for China to formulate its next five-year plan for renewable energy development and its medium to long-term energy strategy development.

The current goal of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy and climate is to support China’s contributions to the Paris Agreement and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 7 (Clean Energy for Economic Application) and 13 (Climate Action), aiming to help China achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 7 billion tons per year by 2050.