Wind energy output in Denmark is likely to have been at a record level in 2020, despite turbine shutdowns, according to the transmission system operator Energinet.

The TSO said total 2020 production from the Danish wind farms is close to the 2019 level – “so close that the production from the last few days of the year must be finally validated before it is possible to say whether last year's wind production exceeded the record set in 2019”.

Wind's share of consumption is about 50.4% last year, with the difference between 2019 and 2020 only 3571 megawatt-hours in 2020’s favour, Energinet said.

The total annual production in 2019 was 16,161,311 MWh and so the difference corresponds to less than two hours of average wind production, it added.

“However, it is already clear that in other circumstances 2020 would have set previous records – both in terms of total production in MWh and the 2019 record in wind production, which corresponded to 47.1% of the total Danish electricity consumption,” Energinet said.

In particular, transmission to Germany was cut back at times with Danish electricity producers, including many wind turbine owners, paid to periodically reduce production, the TSO said.

In 2020, 1.46 terrawatt-hours of Danish wind was down-regulated, corresponding to 4.3% of total Danish electricity consumption, compared with 0.432TWh in 2019 or 1.3%, it added.