Denmark energy transition: District heating updates and gas conversion challenges

Denmark is seeing divergent developments in its district heating and gas conversion sectors. Dansk Fjernvarme has warned that a new state subsidy of up to 40,000 DKK per gas boiler conversion may not be sufficient to overcome existing barriers. The organization notes that high installation costs and declining connection rates in rural areas continue to hinder progress, suggesting a strategic shift toward focusing on the 80,000 gas boilers in the Copenhagen metropolitan area.

In Silkeborg, Silkeborg Forsyning has inaugurated two new district heating plants: a biomass plant for garden/park fuel and a heat pump facility. These additions are part of a long-term transition that has successfully reduced CO2 emissions from heat production by 66 percent between 2014 and 2024. The new infrastructure aims to create a more robust energy supply that is less dependent on natural gas and single technologies.