By Lars Abel, Heat Pump Industry Association in Denmark
Denmark cannot continue to be “satisfied” with leaning on the debated “hockey stick” in the expectation that unproven technologies will ensure the necessary CO2 reductions in just a few years.
Both the Climate Council and prominent business representatives have publicly expressed that the green transition has almost come to a standstill. The phasing out of natural gas in space heating must be replaced by more renewable energy. The heat pump industry is looking forward to further turbocharging this development.
The EU is laying the tracks for a high-speed transition that sets the course for a climate-neutral future. Denmark must buckle down to fulfil its part. It is no longer enough to focus only on meeting the national targets in 2025 and 2030. Denmark must also focus to a large extent on reductions here and now in order to also fulfil the obligations that come from the EU, urged the Climate Council in March 2023.
The Heat Pump Industry Association in Denmark has therefore turned to the Government’s Green Committee, which deals with cases about the government’s policy in the green area with a particular focus on meeting the targets set in the climate act and the government’s foundation regarding nature, environment and climate
Why keep talking about “tomorrow’s technology” when we already have a technology – heat pump technology – which is an important and proven technology that has already proven that it can help solve the climate challenges?
The EU action plan for heat pumps is expected in autumn 2024
That is why we have chosen to emphasize to the Green Committee that the European Commission has taken the initiative to call for views for the preparation of an action plan to speed up the spread of heat pumps in the EU. The initiative has been taken against the background of the goals of the European Green Pact, as well as the Commission’s report on the competitiveness of clean technologies. In the industrial plan for the Green Pact, the Commission points to heat pumps as one of the key technologies in the efforts to meet the EU’s climate neutrality goals. The EU consultation took place in autumn 2023. The Commission’s plan is now expected to come during autumn 2024.
The Government’s Green Committee must deliver concrete green solutions
At the same time, the Heat Pump Industry in Denmark has approached the members of the Danish Parliament’s Climate, Energy and Supply Committee to make parliamentary politicians aware of the possibilities of the recognized technology. We have also invited KL – the National Association of Municipalities – to discuss the initiative. The municipalities, which are responsible for the municipal heating plans, should have a special interest in familiarizing themselves with and understanding how the heat pump technology works. It opens up great opportunities for the necessary and green transition.
The EU’s goals include that heat pump technology must be an integral part of the municipalities’ heating planning, just as it can help speed up all types of heat pumps. This applies to the individual heat pumps, it applies to the utilization of excess heat, e.g. also from industry, and large collective heat pumps in district heating. There is generally a great need to ensure wider information and knowledge about heat pump technology.
We find it natural that the Green Committee and other political actors are already starting a specific Danish follow-up to the European Commission’s initiative for the upcoming action plan to speed up the spread of heat pump technology in the EU. Denmark has particularly good prerequisites, which we can advantageously implement immediately. Danish companies and institutions, etc. actively participates in a large number of Danish and international heat pump technology project collaborations. It takes place i.a. via the Technological Institute.
The Heat Pump Industry Association in Denmark – VPI – brings together the industry’s manufacturers and suppliers of quality heat pumps.
The association works purposefully to ensure that heat pumps achieve a central position in the future Danish fossil-free energy policy. This applies to individual heat pumps, heat pumps in industry and heat pumps in the district heating sector. At the same time, the association has a special focus on quality and energy efficiency.