The Danish Island that went Carbon Negative

www.newwest.net
Fri, 11 Jun 2010

Denmark is primarily a nation of 444 Islands, 76 of them inhabited. The capital Copenhagen is located on the largest island Zealand, and the second largest island Funen is the home of Hans Christian Andersen. These days the Danish Island most in the news is Samsoe, situated between Jutland and Zealand. Twice the size of Manhattan, the island used to be known mainly for its delicious strawberries and potatoes. Today the Samsingers, as the 4,200 people on Samsoe call themselves, are the first in the industrialised world to reach a carbon negative state. They used to be totally dependent on petroleum imports and electricity from coal-fired plants on the mainland. Before 1998 each Samsinger was responsible for 11 metric tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere. Annually each American puts 19 metric tons into the air.

By installing wind turbines, solar panels, and burning biomass in "closed" furnaces, the Samsingers have now reduced their CO2 emissions by 140%. By 2005 they had reached 100% and had attained carbon neutrality. The additional 40% reduction means that they are now carbon negative: they are exporting more energy than they consume. In 1997 the Samsingers thought they had a good chance to win a national competition for "Renewable Energy Island." An engineer came over from the mainland and did some wind and sunshine studies, and together they sent their proposal off to Copenhagen.

They won the competition and the prize was $90 million in grants from the Danish government over ten years. The government gave the Samsingers full reign in deciding how to increase their energy efficiency. Raising 80% of their own capital, the residents installed 11 1 MW wind turbines and set up many smaller household turbines. Most of the turbines are cooperatively owned and those shareholders include 1,100 of the 50,000 tourists who visit the island during the summers. Each year the island uses 26 million kW hours, but there is 80 million kW hours left over that is sold to the national grid for $8 million a year.

To off-set the 690,000 gallons of gas and diesel still used in their cars, tractors, and ferries, the Samsingers invested in 10 sea-based 2.3MW wind turbines, which greet visitors as they arrive at the ferry terminal. The Samsingers are expanding their biogas production to include methane from pig waste, and they are also experimenting with the production of hydrogen, which can be used to run fuel-cells. A century ago Danish scientist Paul La Cour used wind mills to produce hydrogen for the lights at Askov Folk High School. Under his leadership wind power produced 3% of Denmark's electricity by 1918. Cheap oil then put an end to this early green development.

Danish scientists, working at a research center once devoted to nuclear energy, are again on the cutting edge of hydrogen production. On the Danish island of Lolland wind mills are producing 50% more power than the people consume, so the Lollanders are electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen and oxygen, which is used to speed up the treatment of the island's sewage.

Along with Israel, Denmark is starting to build charging stations for electric vehicles, so these cars will soon be on Danish highways in greater numbers than elsewhere. The Danish government is waiving the 200% excise tax on conventional vehicles to encourage Danes to switch to electric transportation. Teaming up with the American company Better Place, Danish utility DONG Energy is laying out $103 million for 500,000 charging stations and 150 battery swap depots strategically located for longer trips. One might ask why Better Place is not doing business with U.S, utilities, and the answer is that, except for negotiations with Hawaii and San Francisco, there is neither the political will nor the government support to make innovation such as this happen.

On the Danish island of Bornholm an experiment with "vehicle-to-grid" power storage is now in place for the 40,000 inhabitants. Parked vehicles will serve as storage for the excess wind power produced on the island. When the weather is calm, electricity flows back into the grid making unnecessary the reliance on coal-fired plants. Only 400,000 electric cars used in this manner would be needed to take up the slack when Denmark's 5,200 turbine rotors are not turning.

The Samsingers, the Lollanders, and Bornholmers, mostly conservative farmers, say that they are just ordinary people. Their challenge is that if they can become carbon neutral, then anyone on earth can follow their lead. With sufficient political will and cooperative effort every nation could kick its petroleum habit and planet earth could be saved from ecological disaster.