United for green innovation

Production of technical water for PtX, an electrically powered lime kiln, conversion of plastic waste into syngas, a test platform for the development and implementation of CCUS technologies, as well as facilitation of CO₂ capture in small and medium-sized district heating plants. Five new innovation projects receive support through CO2Vision Phase III.

The five projects build on the already existing innovation projects in the CCUS business lighthouse, which continue into 2026. Energy Cluster Denmark, together with the CO2Vision partnership, has assisted the five new innovation projects in securing the funding provided by the Danish Board of Business Development.

“With the five new innovation projects in the business lighthouse, we continue the development of the CCUS agenda, which is very important for achieving our shared climate goals. The projects span widely and cover both the production of new solutions and tools as well as the development of infrastructure to benefit SMEs,” says Glenda Napier, CEO of Energy Cluster Denmark.

SWAP-X: Developing a facility at the Port of Hirtshals for the production of technical water for Power-to-X (PtX) processes by reusing process water from local companies and surplus heat. The goal is to support future production of green fuels and reduce CO₂ emissions in and around the port.

E-transformer: Demonstrates an electrically powered lime kiln (the e-Transformer) for emission-free lime production, which can be integrated into CCUS cycles and used to capture and utilize CO₂, including in cement production.

Plastic2Steel: Converts plastic waste into syngas that can replace fossil energy in steel production, contributing to lower CO₂ emissions and improved resource efficiency.

GreenTech Aalborg: Creates a holistic infrastructure for testing, developing, and implementing CCUS technologies with a focus on SMEs, regulatory frameworks, and business development, to accelerate the industrial green transition.

CCIP: Develops a decision-support tool to facilitate CO₂ capture in small and medium-sized district heating plants, as well as to disseminate the technology nationally and internationally, in order to promote decentralized CO₂ handling from small and medium-sized point sources.

“With the new innovation projects in CO2Vision 3.0, our hope is that we move one step closer to fulfilling the ambition of a greener future, as well as achieving business growth for small, medium-sized, and large companies in both North Jutland and all of Denmark,” says Maria Kristiansen, Project Manager for CO2Vision at Energy Cluster Denmark.

The Danish Board of Business Development is behind a new major investment aimed at developing selected business potentials into new market strengths that enhance the productivity of Danish SMEs. The initiative targets innovation, test facilities, and a qualified workforce.

DKK 258 million from the Danish Board of Business Development will therefore help promote the development of new technologies and solutions to major societal challenges. This takes place through the business lighthouses. The initiative is delivered by Business Development Denmark, where consortia of public and private actors work according to a common strategic direction. This provides companies with new opportunities aimed at innovation, testing and demonstration, as well as competence development.

The consortium behind CO2Vision consists of Energy Cluster Denmark, Green Hub Denmark, Business Hub North Denmark, Aalborg University, Aalborg Portland A/S, the Mid/North Labour Market Office, NorthDenmark EU Office, and Business Region North Denmark.

Torsdag den 4. december kl. 16.00-18.00 inviterer GEV og samarbejdspartnere til indvielse af CleanLab Grindsted. Et banebrydende pilotprojekt som skal teste om elektrolyse kan bidrage til oprensningen af generationsforureningen i Grindsted. Projektet er samtidig med til at balancere elnettet og kan potentielt producere billig fjernvarme til byen. Derfor har GEV valgt at gå ind i projektet, som er et eksempel på sektorkobling i praksis.

Åbent hus arrangementet giver interesserede mulighed for at opleve, og se teknologien, der testes, og hvad betydningen kan være for miljøet, energiudnyttelsen og lokalsamfundet. Lykkes det i Grindsted, vil metoden kunne benyttes til andre forureninger i Danmark og udlandet.

-Det er et projekt, vi har arbejdet på i årevis sammen med vores samarbejdspartnere. Og det er derfor med stor glæde, at vi nu kan åbne CleanLab for offentligheden. Vi er godt i gang med at teste, om projektet kan oprense byens grundvand tilstrækkeligt og, på sigt, måske udnytte overskudsvarmen til varmeproduktion og hjælpe med at balancere elnettet. Det er derfor, at GEV kan gå ind i sådan et projekt, fordi der er fordele for miljøet og mulige energigevinster,” fortæller direktør for GEV, René Heiselberg Gier.

CleanLab Grindsted bygger videre på de gode resultater fra de forudgående laboratorietests, hvor de første forsøg med elektrolyse viste potentiale for både oprensning og energiudnyttelse.

Et af Danmarks mest avancerede pilotprojekter for miljø og energi
Arrangementet den 4. december markerer både startskuddet for offentligheden og en milepæl for samarbejdet mellem GEV og samarbejdspartnerne: Aalborg Universitet, ABB, ATES, GeoDrilling, Electrocell Europe og Energy Cluster Denmark.

- CleanLab Grindsted viser, at grøn innovation lykkes, når vi løfter i fællesskab. Ingen kan løse fremtidens udfordringer alene, men når forskere, teknologivirksomheder og forsyninger arbejder sammen, kan vi flytte både teknologi og miljø i den rigtige retning, siger direktøren i GEV.

Erfaringer og faglighed bidrager til samarbejdet på tværs af sektorer. GEV stiller sin driftserfaring til rådighed, mens forsknings- og udviklingspartnere bidrager med avanceret viden om elektrolyse, processtyring og dataopsamling. Sammen er der skabt et levende pilotprojekt, hvor teori, praksis og forsyning mødes og hvor løsninger kan testes under realistiske driftsforhold.

Ved at invitere interesserede ind, ønsker GEV at skabe gennemsigtighed og tilknytning til projektet, som skal komme lokalsamfundet til gode.

Hvad kan man opleve til indvielsen?
Selve indvielsen byder på taler og den officielle åbning af anlægget. Der vil være gennemgang af anlægget, hvor anlægget er taget i brug og besøgende kan få et indblik i, hvordan teknologien fungerer i praksis.

I det opstillede telt på pladsen kan man møde involverede projektledere, som står klar til at besvare spørgsmål om metoder, resultater og fremtidsperspektiverne.

Tid & sted
Dato: torsdag den 4. december 2025 Tid: kl. 16.00-18.00 Sted: Svinget 12, 7200 Grindsted (ved Billund Vand & Energis anlæg)

Arrangementet er åbent for alle.

Fakta:

• CleanLab Grindsted er et pilotprojekt, som skal teste, om elektrolyse kan oprense forureningen i undergrunden og samtidig bidrage til balancering af elnettet og potentielt bidrage med billig fjernvarme i lokalområdet.
• Projektet kombinerer miljø- og energiteknologi: oprensning, balancering af elnet og varmeudnyttelse.
• Projektet startede i marts 2024 og er støttet af Erhvervsstyrelsens Fond for Retfærdig Omstilling samt medfinansieret af Den Europæiske Union.
• Pilotprojektet løber frem til 1. december 2026.

Excavators are busy at work in GreenLab’s industrial park by Skive. Here, Organic Fuel Technology (OFT) and the WaveFuels consortium are building the world’s first full-scale plant of its kind: a microwave-based pyrolysis plant that can turn waste streams such as sewage sludge into green fuel and climate-friendly biochar.

Inside the new hall, the heart of the technology will be installed: three large reactors with microwave ovens with a combined output equivalent to around 120 kitchen microwaves.

“Basically, we are building the world’s largest microwave oven of its kind to convert sewage sludge and other organic waste into oil and biochar. The goal is to turn what is normally a difficult waste problem into valuable green products,” says Jens Henrik Haahr, CEO of Organic Fuel Technology.

Waste Becomes Fuel and CO₂ Storage

The microwave technology is a kind of “pyrolysis on fast-forward”, where the microwaves ensure very efficient and controlled heating of the material. At the same time, it is a kind of power-to-X, since the entire process is driven by green electricity and produces bio-based fuel.

When sewage sludge and other biomass are fed through the plant, they are split into bio-oil and biochar.

The bio-oil can be further processed into fuel for heavy transport, for example shipping, while the biochar can be used for carbon storage in soils and as a soil improver. In this way, the technology both helps replace fossil oil and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.

“If we can make oil and char from the organic material we already have in our cycles instead of digging new oil and coal out of the ground, we really move the needle on climate impact. At the same time, we offer a solution to a waste problem that wastewater utilities and society are struggling with today,” says Jens Henrik Haahr.

Powered by Green Electricity in an Energy Symbiosis

The entire process in the WaveFuels plant runs on electricity – and thus on the green power produced at GreenLab.

“At GreenLab, we are connected directly to wind turbines, solar cells and heat and battery systems. That makes the plant even more climate-friendly and shows how the industrial cluster can support new technology in practice,” explains Jens Henrik Haahr.

At GreenLab, the plant is seen as an important next step in the development of the green industrial park.

“We are pleased to host Organic Fuel Technology’s large-scale demonstration plant and to be part of the WaveFuels project. At GreenLab, OFT gets access to green power and shared utilities through our industrial symbiosis, which makes it possible to test the technology at full scale faster. When the energy is green, the infrastructure is shared, and solutions are tested in real life, we can move much faster from idea to industrial use – and we look forward to seeing the plant in operation,” says Thomas Helsgaun, CEO of GreenLab.

From Desktop to Full Scale

The WaveFuels demonstration plant is the first full-scale plant based on OFT’s patented microwave technology. Previously, a longer development process led to the establishment of a pilot plant, and in 2023 the company received support to complete the detailed design of the full-scale plant, which is expected to be in operation in 2027.

“The funding commitment from EUDP is a huge boost and a strong vote of confidence in our technology and business strategy. Now we have to prove that we can make the technology work at full scale – and that we can deliver both on climate and on economics,” says Jens Henrik Haahr.

The potential reaches far beyond Skive. The technology is not tied to one specific type of waste or one country, and the WaveFuels consortium sees great potential in rolling out the solution to both Danish and international markets, where the need for green fuels and CO₂ storage is only growing.

Facts: The WaveFuels Project

WaveFuels is a demonstration project to build and test a full-scale microwave-based pyrolysis plant at GreenLab near Skive. The purpose is to convert sewage sludge and other organic residues into green bio-oil and biochar – powered by green electricity and integrated into GreenLab’s energy symbiosis.

Project partners are Organic Fuel Technology A/S (project lead), GreenLab Skive, Aarhus University and Topsoe. The project is facilitated by Energy Cluster Denmark and supported by EUDP – the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program, which has also previously supported the project in its design phase.