Electricity shortages: Denmark may be forced, as a last resort, to cut power for hours this winter.

Electricity shortages caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war could create a real and tangible problem in Danish homes over the next six months, as many Danes may have to get used to dark rooms and cold living rooms during the coming winter.

Denmark and Europe as a whole are facing unprecedented challenges in securing energy supplies, which means that Danes must get used to a completely new form of electricity consumption.

Klaus Winther, deputy director at Energinet and the system's operator, told TV2 that there is a growing risk of power shortages this winter, and there is no doubt that power cuts (i.e., shutting off the electricity) are the last resort… so we have to take the situation very seriously. The discouraging message from the deputy director comes at a time when all of Europe is under more pressure than ever regarding high electricity prices and a limited electricity market. This has led to power shortages, which can be attributed primarily to three conditions that have become clear in recent months, according to Klaus Winther:
First, Russian gas supplies to Europe were cut off.
Secondly, the weather – in the form of a very hot and dry summer
Thirdly, the technical challenges and problems in foreign power plants.
Klaus Winther explains that the situation in European electricity markets is currently very tense, as all countries are struggling to keep up with energy demand, leading to higher electricity prices. Where electricity production cannot keep up with demand, this increases the likelihood of power outages, according to Klaus Winther.

Where do we get our electricity from in Denmark?
The electricity on the Danish power grid originates from several different energy sources, namely:

• Windmills.
• Combined power generation plants, which use, for example, coal, oil, straw and natural gas.
• Decentralized combined heat and power plants, which use, for example, gas and alternative energy sources such as biomass and waste.
• Importing electricity from Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands and producing electricity using hydroelectric power.
• Purchasing electricity from private sector producers and manufacturing facilities both within and outside Denmark.
• Solar cells.
  (Source: Energinet.dk)

The decline in natural gas shipments from Russia to Europe has been the primary factor in the electricity shortage, as many European power plants rely on natural gas to generate electricity.

In addition, the summer was extremely hot, especially in southern Europe, and this led to the drying up of many rivers, making it difficult to ship coal and oil to power plants. The Rhine River is an example of this, and it is an important center for the movement of raw materials in Europe.

Recently, many power plants in Europe were shut down in late summer in preparation for winter, including several nuclear power plants in France.

• There are many factors affecting us at the moment, and we are in a near-perfect storm, as Klaus Winter explains.

Hours without electricity
According to Klaus Winther, if the electricity supply in Denmark actually runs out, individual distribution companies will have to cut off the power completely for a few hours, something we have never seen before here in Denmark, as Klaus Winther explains.

The professor believes that the best thing Denmark can do to prepare for winter and avoid power outages is to start saving energy now, and it should happen today, not tomorrow.

Sweden's electricity shortage crisis forecast

As for neighboring Sweden, one official, Erik Ek, anticipates potential capacity problems during the period when Swedes desperately need to import energy, as it may not be possible to keep pace with consumer demand for electricity. Ek stated in a press release: “This winter, when it is at its coldest, there is a real risk that we will have to cut off electricity in parts of southern Sweden.” If power outages do occur, they would correspond to approximately 21 TP3T of Sweden’s total electricity consumption, according to calculations from Svenske Kraftnät.

Germany announced an austerity plan
The energy crisis is affecting the whole of Europe, and in Germany, for example, politicians have already adopted a large number of measures aimed at reducing the country’s total energy consumption by 20%, including reducing the temperature in air conditioning units in public buildings to 19 degrees (and in the summer the temperature is not allowed to be reduced below that), and if no one is in the offices, the cooling units must be turned off, and the lighting of public buildings, tourist attractions, and other places must be turned off at night.

(Source: TV2)