01/02/2021
New gas pipeline to Lolland-Falster is a green milestone for Denmark
The Danish government has reached a green milestone by deciding to expand the gas grid with a new gas pipe-line to Lolland-Falster. This is a green investment in energy infrastructure, which will maintain and create im-portant production jobs in rural areas, ensure large reductions in CO2 emissions from the local production in-dustries, and open up new opportunities for the expansion of climate-friendly biogas.
A great day for Lolland Falster
With support from a majority of the parties in the Danish Parliament, the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Dan Jørgensen (from the Social Democratic Party) has today given the green light to expand the Danish gas grid to Lolland-Falster. This is a green milestone for Denmark, which will have a big positive impact on Lolland-Falster.
The mayor of Guldborgsund Municipality, John Brædder, and the mayor of Lolland Municipality, Holger Schou Rasmussen, have both worked thoroughly to get the danish gas grid to Lolland-Falster. Therefore, they are both happy and relieved that the political decision has now been made.
“I am very pleased that Lolland-Falster will now be connected to the Danish gas grid. The gas pipeline is an investment that will help to future-proof important production jobs on Lolland-Falster, especially at Nordic Sugar's two sugar factories in Nakskov and Nykøbing. We must support the local jobs – therefore is the decision about the gas pipeline also of great importance for Lolland-Falster's future development, ” says Mayor of Guldborgsund Municipality, John Brædder (Guldborgsundlisten, da.).
The mayor of Lolland Municipality, Holger Schou Rasmussen, calls it "a great day for Lolland-Falster". He emphasizes that the next step now is to establish two biogas plants together with the upcoming gas pipeline.
"It is a great day for Lolland-Falster now that the gas grid will be expanded to our part of the country. An important step now is to build two local biogas plants so that we can supply our companies with climate-friendly biogas, reduce agricultural emissions of greenhouse gases and create green jobs. Here, biogas will be a unique example of circular economy and maintain Lolland-Falster as a leading showcase for green technologies, ” says Holger Schou Rasmussen (from the Social Democratic Party).
Biogas can create a CO2 neutral solution and start a new Power-to-X adventure
Andels’ trading company SEAS-NVE Strømmen is also a part of the project and contributes among other things with competencies in energy trading, just as the company has a dialogue with many large local companies about their needs and ambitions for the green transition. Henrik Iversen, Vice President of SEAS-NVE, sees several positive future perspectives in today's decision.
“It is a positive step in the green direction that Lolland-Falster will be connected to the gas grid. We will be able to supply more of our business customers in the area with natural gas, which will become greener and greener concurrently with the expansion of biogas. And we will be able to develop new green energy solutions within Power-to-X by combining Lolland-Falster's excess electricity with clean CO2 from the biogas plants.”
The gas pipeline will provide a significant reduction in CO2 emissions from Nordic Sugar's sugar factories and other parts of the local business community. But in order to create a completely CO2 neutral solution, there is a need to establish two new biogas plants on Lolland-Falster, which will be able to produce large amounts of climate-friendly biogas – and in the long run Power-to-X fuels.
At Denmark's largest biogas producer, Nature Energy, the decision cements biogas' central position in the Danish energy system as well as the need to invest in the gas grid and the expansion of biogas plants to achieve the climate goals for 2030 and 2050.
“The decision to connect such a large part of Denmark as Lolland-Falster to the gas grid clearly shows that our gas grid plays a key role in the green transition as the backbone in our energy supply. Today, there are over 20 per cent climate-friendly biogas in the gas grid – and the goal is of course that the biogas displaces the natural gas completely. This requires continuing massive investments in biogas, ” says Ole Hvelplund, CEO of Nature Energy, and continues:
"Here we have two projects ready on Lolland-Falster which we can start building as soon as possible if there is political will to support the biogas plants," says Ole Hvelplund, CEO of Nature Energy.
Facts about the gas pipeline
Read the press release from the Ministry of Energy, Supply and Climate here.
Who to contact
Bjarke Levin Madsen
Press Officer