13 borgmestre i brev til minister:
Det er ikke ligegyldigt, om varmen kommer fra gas eller fjernvarme
In a letter to a number of mayors and representatives from energy companies, Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard (M) writes that "when viewed through climate glasses, it is not so important whether the heat comes from district heating, a heat pump or green gas."
The letter is a response to a previous letter in which a number of impatient mayors are pushing for an end date for gas for home heating to be set in order to promote the rollout of district heating.
The response should be seen in connection with the minister's expectation that "Danish gas consumption is expected to be 100 percent green from 2029". The minister therefore does not believe that the remaining gas boilers will have a CO2 effect in Denmark in the long term if the gas is green.
But the minister's response has not gone down well.
"The phasing out of gas and the establishment of district heating instead is a very large investment, and it will not be profitable in the same area to maintain both a gas network and a district heating network. A choice must be made. It does not matter whether the heat comes from gas (even though it may be green) or district heating (which is certainly green)," the letter from the 13 mayors states.
The minister's statements create uncertainty among citizens
According to the 13 mayors, the minister's statements put an end to development in potential district heating areas because citizens do not want to invest in a district heating plant if they can still keep their gas boiler.
According to the mayors, there are two statements from the minister that prevent new projects from reaching the necessary connection rates.
1. That it is not so important whether the heat comes from district heating, a heat pump or green gas.
2. That the majority of the gas distribution system is expected to be economically viable by 2050.
The announcement is also a bit of a U-turn, after it was decided in 2022 by a broad political majority that Denmark should be independent of Russian gas for security reasons, and later 'Klimaaftale om green stroem og varme', which included ambitions to fully phase out gas for individual heating by 2035.
Mayors' letter to the minister
Follow-up to letter on phasing out gas in space heating
Thank you for your response to our inquiry "There is a need to set an end date for gas for home heating". We feel compelled to send a follow-up inquiry, as the letter describes two matters that, in our opinion, are not in accordance with the government's previous decisions.
Firstly, it was clear from the "Climate Agreement on Green Electricity and Heat" from 2022 that the ambition was that from 2035 there should no longer be homes in Denmark heated by gas boilers. On this basis, the municipalities have drawn up heating plans for all the current gas-fired areas and have taken a position on whether citizens in these areas should be offered district heating in the future. In the areas where it has been profitable based on socio-economic, corporate and user economic assessments, every household has received clear information about when they can expect district heating. The new announcements from the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities that "the majority of the gas distribution system is expected to be economically profitable towards 2050", have already created great uncertainty among citizens. In several potential new district heating areas, it is, among other things, For this reason, it was not possible to achieve sufficiently high connection rates, because citizens naturally do not want to invest in a new district heating system if they can keep their gas boiler instead - at least until 2050!
The other factor that contradicts the previous planning is the statement that it is "not that important whether the heat comes from district heating, a heat pump or green gas". The phasing out of gas and the establishment of district heating instead is a very large investment, and it will not be profitable to maintain both a gas network and a district heating network in the same area. A choice must be made. It does not matter whether the heat comes from gas (even though it may be green) or district heating (which is certainly green).
Overall, the two new announcements from the minister mean that the ongoing district heating rollout in the municipalities will most likely come to a halt. They also mean that Denmark thereby maintains a large gas consumption, which could alternatively be used in industry, the transport sector or for export.
We have sent a copy of this letter to the Danish Parliament's Climate, Energy and Utilities Committee accompanied by a question as to whether the committee agrees with the Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities' new statements.
With kind regards
Kenneth Gøtterup, Mayor, Dragør Municipality
Frank Schmidt-Hansen, Mayor, Vejen Municipality
Allan S. Andersen, Mayor, Tårnby Municipality
Peter Rahbæk Juel, Mayor, Odense Municipality
Mette Landtved-Holm, Mayor, Nordfyns Municipality
Ole Vind, Mayor, Hedensted Municipality
Henning Urban Dam Nielsen, Mayor, Stevns Municipality
Mads Sørensen, Mayor, Varde Municipality
Marie Stærke, Mayor, Køge Municipality
Carsten Rasmussen, Mayor, Næstved Municipality
Jesper Frost Rasmussen, Mayor, Esbjerg Municipality
Bent Hansen, Mayor, Gribskov Municipality
Knud Vincents, Mayor, Slagelse Municipality
