Denmark imports but does not produce nuclear energy, which is in accordance with a 1985 law passed by the Danish parliament, prohibiting power production from nuclear energy in Denmark.[1][2][3] In 2014 and 2015, (imported) nuclear power was 3-4% of electricity consumption in Denmark.[4]
Instead of building nuclear power, Denmark converted oil plants to coal and built new coal power plants so efficiently that for a number of years Denmark was the world's second largest importer of coal (11-12 million tons per year). [5] The past decades, Denmark has focused on renewable energy sources such as wind energy to reduce the country's dependence on coal power. In 2007, about 11.4 TWh of electricity was exported and 10.4 TWh imported. Import from Sweden amounted 5 TWh, from Norway 3.9 TWh, and from Germany 1.5 TWh. Both Sweden and Germany have a portion of nuclear energy in their power production.[1]
Beginning in 2003, three nuclear research reactors at the former Risø National Laboratory have been shut down,[2] and are in the process of being dismantled. The reactors were named DR-1, DR-2 and DR-3, and had the following properties:[6]
| Name | Reactor type | Thermal power | Operating years | Decommissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR1 | Homogenous reactor | 2 kW | 1957–2001 | 2003–2006 |
| DR2 | Pool reactor | 5 MW | 1958–1975 | since 2003 |
| DR3 | DIDO | 10 MW | 1960–2000 | since 2003 |
The issue of introducing nuclear power in Denmark has, however, gained new flare-up since 2019, when COP-19 and the state of the climate showed that there is a global need for new or other energy sources that do not emit the same large amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases as fossil fuels. The movement "Atomkraft, ja tak" has grown in membership and has received a lot of media coverage. [source missing] In August 2023, a Gallup poll showed that 55% of Denmark's population is positive for nuclear power compared to 26% against. [7] The Technical University of Denmark reintroduced Danish research into nuclear power in 2024. [8]
In 2015, two Danish companies Seaborg Technologies and Copenhagen Atomics were established. Both are private companies that work on the development of so-called molten salt reactors (MSR),[9][10] where the fissile fuel is mixed in the molten salt, and have a significantly lower output effect than the conventional, commercially available nuclear power reactors. They are therefore smaller in size, and in both cases will be of modular construction (Small Modular Reactors (SMR)).