The Danish government has decided to spend 250 million Danish kroner (US$36 million) to promote “green” heating and phasing down the use of natural gas in Denmark, reducing reliance on Russian gas in the process.
The money will be spent in 2022, focusing mainly on providing advice and support for municipal efforts to roll out “green” district heating and smaller shared heating solutions, to promote energy-saving initiatives and for a subsidy scheme for people replacing their gas boilers.
Denmark has long been a frontrunner in the development and use of heat pumps, including both small domestic units and larger systems for distinct heating and industrial applications.
“Getting rid of natural gas and oil for heating is a big and important step for green heat,” said Dan Jørgensen, Minister for Climate, Energy and Supply, in a statement on the ministry’s website, “and it is absolutely necessary for heating bills, for the climate and for becoming independent from Russian gas.”
“Planning, advice and support are all needed to achieve sustainable alternatives across the country. We must become even better at saving energy – especially in light of the uncertain situation with Russian gas,” Jørgensen added. “I am pleased that … we are now accelerating to a whole new pace towards a greener and safer everyday life.”
Several Danish district heating providers have already switched to ammonia/NH3 (R717) heat pumps in their efforts to become more energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprints.
In February last year, district heating provider Saltum Fjernvarme installed a Sabroe ammonia heat pump with a capacity of 1.2MW at 0°C (32°F). The ammonia heat pump is capable of producing 8,000MWh of energy annually, which is 80% of Saltum’s customers’ consumption. Saltum expects to cut around 70% of its annual CO2 emissions with the new system, or 1,150 metric tons per year.
In November 2021, another Danish district heating provider Marstal Fjernvarme chose to replace a 10-year-old CO2 heat pump with a new ammonia system, increasing its COP from just over 3 to an annual average between 5 and 5.5.
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