A proposal from the Liberal Party to scrap the target for phasing out gas boilers in Danish homes has drawn widespread green criticism. Climate experts and spokespeople have lashed out at the party for a proposal that, according to them, will prolong European gas dependence.
But the Moderates, who consider themselves the green element in the government, understand the idea.
- It is a completely relevant issue that is being pointed out. I have previously said that we do not see a future for us where it is necessary for us to have the last household disconnected from the gas grid, says climate rapporteur Henrik Frandsen.
On Saturday, the Liberal Party proposed dropping the goal that all gas boilers in Danish homes should be phased out by 2035. The argument is that green biogas will have displaced fossil natural gas by that time, and that it will be disproportionately expensive for homeowners in remote areas to abolish the boiler.
However, it will be a poor use of biogas if it is to be used to create "lukewarm water" for radiators, says professor of energy planning at Aalborg University Brian Vad Mathiesen. Instead, the biogas should be used for the large and energy-intensive processes that cannot be electrified throughout Europe.
- For every kilowatt of biogas that we can export to Europe, we save on imported natural gas. It has a very concrete physical climate effect, says the professor.
That climate effect will be less if the biogas is used in gas boilers in Danish homes, it is said.
The Moderates: Some areas it will be difficult
Henrik Frandsen acknowledges that challenge. It is thus still the Moderates' idea that the vast majority of gas boilers should be phased out in favor of district heating and electrification.
- But there are some areas in Denmark where it is very difficult to roll out district heating, he says.
Henrik Frandsen can therefore live with the fact that there is not a 100 percent pure objective that there must be absolutely 0.0 percent of homes with gas heating by 2035.
- In the big picture, it is important that gas is primarily reserved for places where you cannot use anything else or electrify. It is just my point of view that if there are a few houses that are located in a way that makes it difficult, then I have no problem with the relatively few houses still using gas, he says.
In the Social Democrats, energy spokesman Jesper Petersen will not address the ambition that Danish homes will not be heated with gas from 2035. But there is an overall ambition to use less gas and roll out district heating to even more households, he says.
- We are not going to turn off the gas from one day to the next. But Europe needs us to use gas for the right things, especially in industry, and that we do not only see it as a Danish issue, but also a European one, says Jesper Petersen.
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