By the numbers: How we build a world that runs on renewable energy

Ørsted has three decades of experience in building renewable energy and is today among the world’s leading renewable energy companies with a broad range of solutions to help decarbonise the world’s energy systems to limit global warming.

In Ørsted, we have a vision to create a world that runs entirely on green energy. The production and use of fossil fuels account for nearly 75% of global carbon emissions. To limit climate change and power the world sustainably, we must drastically accelerate the transformation of the world’s energy systems from fossil fuels to renewables.

We have transformed from a fossil-fuel based energy company to a green energy company in a little more than a decade by investing significantly in renewables. We invested DKK 193 billion in 2010-2019, and are investing DKK 200 billion exclusively in green energy towards 2025. Our carbon emissions have reduced 87% since 2006, and the share of green energy in our energy generation has risen to 90% by the end of 2019.

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Offshore wind, onshore wind, and solar PV are cornerstone technologies in the global transformation to renewables. They help avoid emissions from fossil fuels by displacing fossil fuels from the energy mix. All three technologies are at the core of the green solutions we provide to countries to help them transition to renewable energy.

Our target is to have built 15 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2025 and 30 GW across all green energy technologies by 2030. The green energy we provide displaces carbon emissions that would otherwise have come from fossil-based energy, such as coal or gas. In 2020, our green energy solutions helped avoid 13.1 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

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Targets in Ørsted’s decarbonisation programme

By 2023

Phase out coal completely. Over the past decade Ørsted has shut down three coal-fired power plants in Denmark. Power plants that play a key role in generating heat to Danish households and industry have been converted from coal to certified sustainable biomass. One remaining coal-fired power plant will be shut down by 2023*.

By 2025

Carbon neutral operations and energy generation.
By phasing out fossil fuels and installing 20GW of renewable energy, carbon emissions will have been reduced by at least 98% by 2025, as compared with 2006.
Continue to reduce carbon emissions beyond 98% by switching to a fleet of electric vehicles in the company car fleet, in line with the EV100 requirements and finding other reduction opportunities in the energy generation and operations.
Offset any residual emissions through verified, measurable and additional carbon removal projects.

By 2030

Build more than 30GW of green energy across technologies – enough to power more than 55 million people.

By 2032

Reduce emissions from energy trading and in the supply chain by 50%, as compared with 2018, to align carbon reductions across the entire carbon footprint with the 1.5°C pathway.

By 2040

Carbon neutral footprint a decade ahead of the 1.5°C pathway by driving out remaining emissions from energy trading and from the supply chain.

Read Press release here

* Following orders from the Danish authorities, Ørsted must delay its target to stop using coal one year to 2024. Ørsted maintains its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2025.

To ensure the security of the electricity supply in Denmark, the Danish authorities have decided to order Ørsted to continue and resume operations of three of its Danish power station units. This applies to two units which use coal as their primary source of fuel, and one which uses oil as fuel. One of these is Ørsted’s last coal-fired powerplant in operation, scheduled to be decommissioned on 31 March 2023, and the two other units have already been decommissioned.

The Danish authorities have ordered Ørsted to keep the three units in operation until 30 June 2024.

Sustainability report 2021

Green energy for the planet and its people

Discover how Ørsted is making renewables a force for positive change – far beyond delivering zero-emissions energy

Sustainability Report