COPENHAGEN: Denmark generated close to half of its electricity consumption from wind energy in 2017, setting a new world record as it aims to entirely phase out fossil fuels in its power sector, the country’s energy and climate minister said on Thursday.

“This will not be the last record we set,” Lars Chr. Lilleholt told Reuters.

He added that the goal is to cover the windy country’s entire electricity consumption with renewable energy, although the timing depends on technological advances.

The level of electricity consumption supplied by wind power has set records in the Nordic country nine out of the last 10 years, reaching 43.4 per cent last year and surpassing the previous 2015 record of 42 per cent. Lilleholt said more offshore wind power would be built before 2030, but declined to say how many megawatts would be put out for tender.

The percentage of electricity produced by wind increased from 37.6 per cent in 2016, when the International Energy Agency put Portugal behind Denmark at 24 per cent.

Denmark is known as the cradle of wind power and is home to the largest wind turbine maker, Vestas and the largest offshore wind farm developer Orsted.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2018