Topic:
Country: Denmark
Delegate Name: Renia Kahn
Committee: International Atomic energy agency (IAEA)
Topic: The Role of Nuclear Energy in Reducing Fossil Fuel Reliance
Country: Denmark
Delegate: Renia Kahn
School: Greenhills School Ann Arbor
Denmark is a leading country in clean energy. The Kingdom of Denmark, consisting of Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe islands, is a pioneer in the quest for a completely renewable energy system. Before 1973 Denmark was completely reliant on natural gas and fossil fuels for its energy and the thought of transforming Denmark into a system comprising solely of clean energy seemed out of the question. But after the oil crisis of 1973, Denmark began looking into sources of green power and a way to capture ocean winds. Now wind turbines are a significant source of energy in Denmark. Ørsted, the main energy company of Denmark divested from oil and gas in 2017, now completely producing wind and solar energy. In 1985 Denmark decided that nuclear power should not be a part of the national energy mix for safety reasons. This policy is still in place today and there is no move to change it. In accordance with the 1985 policy, nuclear power is currently excluded from Denmark’s energy mix and no nuclear power plants will be constructed. This said, in 2020 Denmark produced half of their energy from wind and solar alone, higher than any other country.
Denmark believes that a fully sustainable energy mix can be achieved without the use of nuclear power. Denmark thinks that wind, solar, and geo-energy can transform Denmark into a country completely reliant on green energy and that the next big question is the storage of that energy. Denmark hopes that other countries can also begin to transition to a renewable energy system, preferably without reliance on nuclear power because of its safety challenges. Denmark is currently working towards creating an effective way to store energy generated by wind and solar, with the end goal of a complete transition to 100% green power.
Works Cited
“Nuclear Energy in Denmark : Danish Nuclear Electricity.” World Nuclear Association, April 2022, https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/denmark.aspx Accessed 16 February 2023.
“Denmark: Imuna: NHSMUN: Model UN.” IMUNA, https://www.imuna.org/resources/country-profiles/denmark/#:~:text=The%20Kingdom%20of%20Denmark%20is,ties%20with%20Sweden%20and%20Norway
Denmark and Nuclear Security | DIIS. https://www.diis.dk/en/research/denmark-and-nuclear-security. Accessed 17 Feb. 2023.
