Interview: Huge potential for green transition cooperation with China: Danish energy expert

COPENHAGEN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A Danish energy expert has highlighted the huge potential of China's green transition, expressing his confidence in the nation's efforts to develop renewable energy.

China and Denmark have identified energy in the green transition as a key area for collaboration. With Denmark's expertise in renewable energy and sustainable development, and China's commitment to transitioning to a greener economy, the two countries can work together to create a more sustainable future, said Jens Hein, Head of the China Section at the Danish Energy Agency (DEA).

He said Denmark and China have been cooperating on renewable energy for several years.

"China is already doing very well on renewable energy. However, in the long-term, what you need in order to unlock the potential of that renewable energy is to integrate it into your energy system," Hein said.

With China introducing vast quantities of wind generation capacity, Hein stressed the importance of ensuring the quality of renewable energy, as well as its integration into the country's energy system.

For instance, Denmark has been working on developing a flexible energy system for several years, and could share its expertise with China.

"The Danish experience has been that by using advanced forecasting, by having flexible generation and by having strong transmission connections to other countries, we've been able to expand our reliance on renewable energy while maintaining a security of power supply at 99.996 percent," said Hein.

Another area where Denmark could cooperate with China is in the development of district heating systems. District heating is an efficient way to heat buildings because it allows for the utilization of waste heat from power plants or renewable energy sources.

"District heating forms the backbone of the Danish energy system, giving us the flexibility we need for renewable energy to take over from fossil fuels," explained Hein.

Meanwhile, the expert said there is no contradiction between economic development and the green transition.

"The daily experience in Denmark has shown that economic growth and emissions have been decoupled, with GDP increasing while energy consumption has actually fallen slightly and greenhouse gas emissions have gone down," said Hein.

According to the DEA's website, in the first 11 months of 2022, renewable energy sources accounted for some 42 percent of Denmark's total energy consumption.

"The point is that there is no longer a need to choose between economic development and the green transition, both can be achieved simultaneously," Hein said.