Head of Division at the International Energy Agency Tim Gould gives his verdict on how COVID-19 will impact the global energy sector and investments in renewable energy. Nordic Summit is a recurring annual event for Danske Bank’s corporate and institutional clients.

Through Nordic Summit 2020 - this year transformed into a series of virtual sessions - Danske Bank sheds light on the current COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences for the global economy and the society as a whole.

Tim Gould, Head of Division at the International Energy Agency, talks about COVID-19’s implications for the global energy sector, incl. the importance of OPEC+ policies on the oil market, the effects of re-opening of economies on global energy consumption, and the implications of the crisis on investments in renewable energy sources. 

The session is moderated by Jakob Ekholdt Christensen, Head of International Macro and Emerging Markets in Danske Bank, and Jens Nærvig Pedersen, Senior Analyst in Danske Bank.

Key takeaways from Gould

• If a country is in full lockdown, it is experiencing roughly a 25% decline in energy demand. A partial lockdown means an 18% decline approx.
  
  
• Electricity demand has been significantly reduced as a result of the lockdowns. An interesting aspect of that is that as electricity demand goes down, the renewables have been less affected. They have very low operating costs, and they often have priority dispatch. So, many power systems have had a glimpse of what it's going to be like when variable renewables, wind and solar PV are operating with a much higher share of overall generation. For power system operators, this has been a real-time experiment in how to handle higher shares of wind and solar.
  
  
• There has been a huge shift this year, with nearly a trillion dollars less spent on oil than in the past. This means that for the first time in 2020, the world's consumers are likely to be spending less on oil than they are on electricity.
  
  
• The COVID-19 crisis has caused a significant drop in energy investments, in particular in the oil sector. It may turn out to be the peak of the role of the oil sector in the global economy or lead to supply scarcity in some years’ time.
  
  
• In contrast, investments in renewable energy resources have been more resilient during the crisis. However, investments are still way below the levels needed to reach the global climate accord goals.
  
  Read more about Tim Gould on danskebank.com.