District Heating Can Save CO₂ Emissions and Money Through Digitalization

Better data sharing and common standards can significantly improve the efficiency of Danish district heating - benefiting both the climate and heating bills. At the same time, it is the key to taking sector coupling to the next level.

Lower CO2 emissions and reduced heating bills.

These will be two very tangible outcomes of the digital efficiency improvements being explored in the district heating sector through the innovation project HeatSync.

In this project, several district heating and utility companies are collaborating with Center Denmark, Energy Cluster Denmark, Aarhus University, and a number of businesses to standardize the sharing of district heating data. This will both simplify data exchange between individual heating companies and ease collaboration across sectors.

“There are at least three good reasons to standardize data,” says Steen Kramer Jensen, Chief Digital Consultant at Danish District Heating Association (Dansk Fjernvarme):

“Firstly, it makes it easier for district heating companies to share data internally and use it for operational optimization. Secondly, it improves customer service by standardizing access to data. And thirdly, it’s a major help when it comes to reporting and meeting the growing demand for data for ESG and CSR reporting,” he says.

Pooling Knowledge and Development

Billund District Heating already uses data for most operations - from billing and maintenance prioritization to plant optimization.

Even so, Director Jens Enevoldsen sees major benefits in incorporating even more data into daily operations.

“Data is the key to shared sparring, standardization, and learning between district heating companies. We can learn a lot from gaining insight into each other’s figures and having comparable data. If the neighboring municipality is getting 2 percent better efficiency out of a straw boiler than we are, of course we want to know what they’re doing differently,” he says.

When Laura Møller took up the newly created position of Chief of Data and Digitalization at Silkeborg Utility three years ago, her task was to increase data usage focused on customer needs and expectations, internal operational optimization, and to enable better knowledge sharing and efficiency improvements. That’s exactly what HeatSync supports:

“Standards uplift the entire industry and benefit the greater good,” says Laura Møller.

“We’re not in competition, so it makes perfect sense to give each other insight and share what we know. At Silkeborg Utility, we have one solution architect employed, which limits what we can take on - but if we pool more resources across utility companies, we might have 5-10 experts working together on a task. That means we can achieve much more, like developing a shared algorithm,” she says.

A More Robust Energy System

The gains in terms of optimized production and delivery for district heating companies are just one aspect of the HeatSync innovation project, says Lau Holm Albertsen, Project Manager at Energy Cluster Denmark:

“Increased knowledge sharing within the district heating sector offers clear efficiency benefits for operations and better customer service. Not least, it’s also an important step toward greater sector coupling with electricity and water supplies, which will significantly benefit the green transition,” he says.

That perspective is shared by Søren Skov Jakobsen, Director at Center Denmark:

“Sector coupling requires easy access to data and the ability to connect that data across different sectors. The district heating system is a crucial part of our green transition, and with HeatSync we aim to develop varmeoverblik.dk as a concrete example of how district heating data can be shared seamlessly and support real-world use cases. If we can develop standards and systems that interact across all utilities and consumers, it will support the green transition, improve the overall robustness of the energy system — and not least, save money,” he says.

HeatSync Facts

HeatSync is an innovation project funded by EUDP, running from 2024 to 2026. The partner group includes Billund Varmeværk a.m.b.a, Albertslund Forsyning, Trefor Varme A/S, Silkeborg Forsyning A/S, Hvide Sande Fjernvarme a.m.b.a, Aarhus University, Neurospace, Klappir, Center Denmark, and Energy Cluster Denmark.

The project focuses on developing and demonstrating a common data model across the district heating sector, as well as a data broker to make it easier for service providers to access data.

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The Danish startup Gridturn, which extends the life of used electric car batteries by converting them into certified battery energy storage systems (BESS), has been awarded EUR 75,000 in support from the Women TechEU program.

The support is given to female-led European technology companies with the potential to deliver significant innovation and sustainable transformation – and it is precisely this combination that makes Gridturn CEO Louise Witt Sengeløv happy:

"There is definitely no queue for the ladies' room when you go to energy-related conferences! There are few women in tech, but it is just a barrier that is extra motivating to break through. The support is a nice recognition and very inspiring for further work," she says.

Challenging the status quo

Gridturn's solution reduces waste and the need for new materials. This is what is needed:

"40 percent of the world's conflicts since the 1960s are related to the fight for raw materials. 90 percent of our biodiversity loss is related to raw material extraction, and we recycle far too little. In Europe we are at 12 percent circularity, in Denmark we are down to 4%. We must succeed in changing that," she says:

"At the same time, it is important that we make it economically sustainable. And yes, it may be difficult, but we have to do better and challenge the status quo," she says.

Gridturn's solution is to extend the life of electric car batteries so that they also have value when they are no longer suitable for electric cars:

"The range is crucial for a car battery, and therefore a reduction to 80 or 85 percent capacity effectively helps to retire the battery. But even with 80 percent capacity, the battery can still function and bring value if you place it in a different context. The batteries will do very well in our system. The ideal senior life," she says.

From waste to infrastructure

Gridturn recycles the batteries into battery energy storage systems (BESS), which integrate with existing energy solutions and help optimize consumption and balance the electricity grid.

This results in significant CO₂ savings, and the circularity is optimal: waste is turned into energy infrastructure.

Gridturn is now entering the market with a certified and scalable product line. A significant development for a startup that has been part of the Beyond Beta accelerator course in Energy Cluster Denmark.

“We hold the key to Europe’s future energy independence. By recycling batteries, we create a solution that is both greener, integrable and economically sustainable. I also hope that our journey can inspire more women to start deep tech companies – my two daughters are a big part of the motivation to lead this development,” says Louise Witt Sengeløv.

In addition to the funding, Gridturn will have access to a European mentoring and acceleration program that will strengthen business, technology and scaling.

02.12.26Gridturn receives European tech grant for groundbreaking solution for recycling electric car batteries

In order to examine the condition of wind turbine blades, inspections of blade damages are usually carried out when the turbine has been stopped. In the AQUADA-GO project, the partners have developed a drone technology for automated, contact-free, real-time blade damage detection, while the turbine is spinning. Inspections that are done without stopping the turbine’s normal operation can help save turbine downtime. Now, for the first time ever, the operational concept has been successfully demonstrated offshore.

“We have proven that it is possible to autonomously inspect offshore wind turbines with a drone of a certain size equipped with a visual camera, while the turbine is in operation. This is a major accomplishment for us. We have worked on everything from developing drone software and hardware to mission planning and online data infrastructure. Now, we have a commercially ready solution that can be tailored to wind farm operators’ needs and make inspections easier, faster and more cost-effective,” says Jesper Smit, CEO, Quali Drone.

Drone-based blade inspection delivers significant savings

The core idea of the project is to combine drone technology with thermography and computer vision, enabling detection of surface damage and potential subsurface fractures on operational offshore wind turbine blades. This saves wind farm operators considerable costs due to increased efficiency, while also reducing CO₂ emissions and improving inspection safety.

The new technology has been successfully demonstrated several times onshore by the project partners, which, in addition to Quali Drone and RWE, include Statkraft, TotalEnergies, DTU and Energy Cluster Denmark. Most recently, the solution has been demonstrated offshore with visual drone footage of blade damage on the surface at Rødsand 2 Offshore Wind Farm, operated by RWE since 2010 and located south off the coast of Lolland, Denmark.

“For the first time, we have successfully carried out a drone inspection of offshore wind turbines in operation. This is good news for the entire wind industry. Through the technology developed in AQUADA-GO, we can see the potential of monitoring blade conditions without stopping the offshore turbine. This could help to increase efficiency in our production of green electricity and to further improve safety for our employees. By using drones for autonomous inspections, we expect that downtimes and costs can be significantly reduced in the long run,” says Marcus Mejborn, General Manager of Rødsand 2 Offshore Wind Farm, RWE.

AQUADA-GO technology and AI model show great potential

The project is based on the AQUADA technology developed in DTU Wind Energy’s laboratory. DTU has developed an AI model that helps the drone automatically identify wind turbine blade abnormalities to indicate critical damage using AI algorithms and infrared imaging. The AI model, which is trained and improved with new inspection data each time the drone is deployed at wind farms, shows great potential.

“We have developed an AI model that uses deep learning algorithms and computer-vision technology based on thermomechanical models to assist the drone in detecting blade defects – both on the blade surface and below it. We have tested the technology multiple times at onshore wind farms operated by DTU, RWE and Statkraft, and each campaign has fed the AI model with new data that has made it better. We are very pleased with the results and see great potential for future implementation within the wind industry,” says Xiao CHEN, Associate Professor and Head of Section, DTU Wind and Energy Systems, and Project Technical Lead in AQUADA-GO.

Facts about the project

The AQUADA-GO innovation project runs from 2022 to March 2026 with a total budget of DKK 17,796,010 and is supported by EUDP – the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program. The project partners include Quali Drone, the Technical University of Denmark, RWE, Statkraft, TotalEnergies and Energy Cluster Denmark.

Read more about the project here

Do you have questions? Contact Gitte Wad, Project Manager, Energy Cluster Denmark at gwa@energycluster.dk or +45 3152 7516.

01.16.26Danish Drone Breakthrough: First Autonomous Inspection of Operational Offshore Wind Turbines Demonstrated

The funds for new project processes are allocated as part of the Danish Business Promotion Board's innovation grant to the Danish energy cluster and are targeted at companies and research institutions.

“The process is efficient and it's easy to get help along the way. We therefore hope that many companies and researchers focused on climate-friendly energy solutions will apply for support in the current round,” says Christian Boysen, COO at Energy Cluster Denmark.

“All project proposals within our focus areas are welcome, and in this round particular emphasis will be placed on topics such as electrification of heavy industrial processes, digitalization, safety, new business models within the energy system, and NIMBY,” says Christian Boysen.

Energy Cluster Denmark’s focus areas for innovation are energy production, storage, infrastructure, energy efficiency, sector coupling and CCUS, as well as digitalization and cybersecurity.

Practicalities and application
Applications are open now, and the funding framework typically ranges from DKK 200,000 to 1 million.

It is a requirement that at least two small or medium-sized enterprises participate in the project. Large companies and research institutions may also participate, but it is not a requirement.

Apply for innovation funding

The deadline for submitting applications is March 9, 2026 at 12:00, after which applicants will receive notification on March 29 regarding whether they proceed. Final approval for new projects will be given at the beginning of May 2026, when new supported projects may begin.

More application rounds through Energy Cluster Denmark will follow in 2026—from April to August and from August to December.

For questions or sparring, contact Michael Langlo Nielsen, Project Manager, +45 25 80 32 48 / mln@energycluster.dk

01.15.26Deadline March 9: Apply for innovation funding through Energy Cluster Denmark

Scaling up wind energy, thermal storage, cybersecurity, and pyrolysis.

These are just some of the themes found in Energy Cluster Denmark’s newly published Innovation Roadmap 2026–2027.

The publication contains thematic recommendations from the energy sector’s industry associations and knowledge institutions on what the Danish energy cluster’s innovation projects should address over the next two years across the entire energy system.

One of the contributors is Danish Alliance for Renewables:

“Europe has a strong position in wind technology, which is under heavy pressure from countries that are investing massively to challenge European competitiveness. If we are not to lose our industrial production once again, as we did with solar cells, it is crucial that we prioritize our innovation efforts within wind energy and its integration into our energy system. There is a misconception that wind energy technology is fully developed, but our research environments and industry have shown that there is still enormous potential to increase efficiency, optimize and automate production, ensure physical and cybersecurity, enhance sustainability, and add intelligence to deliver some of the system services that power plants provide today,” says Kasper Roed Jensen, Chairman of Danish Alliance for Renewables, which contributes recommendations through Green Power Denmark.

“The key to the most efficient, secure, and robust energy system lies in research and development in system integration and the interaction between technologies to create the sustainable energy system of the future for the benefit of all,” says Kasper Roed Jensen.

Three areas within storage and conversion
Contributors from the energy cluster to the new Innovation Roadmap include Green Power Denmark, DI Energi, Biogas Danmark, Synergi, Dansk Fjernvarme, Brintbranchen, Dansk Offshore, and the Danish Center for Energy Storage (DaCES).

The latter brings together knowledge institutions and research-oriented companies around a strategic effort in energy storage and conversion, and according to DaCES there are three areas that should be prioritized now:

“High-temperature thermal storage is the key to making industrial electrification both flexible and cost-effective. This requires investments in demonstrators, materials research, and the development of specialized components so that the technology can be scaled and integrated into industry,” says Anne Marie Damgaard, Director of the Danish Center for Energy Storage.

“In addition, active battery components such as battery management systems (BMS) and power conversion systems (PCS) are crucial for safe BESS facilities in the EU and strengthen competitiveness across the entire battery value chain. Finally, our long-term, strategic research initiatives, including innovation missions such as MissionGreenFuels, are important, as these missions play a central role in developing technologies for green fuels and chemicals for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize,” says Anne Marie Damgaard.

Sector coupling and innovation
A third contributor to the energy cluster’s Innovation Roadmap is Biogas Danmark, which sees sector coupling and innovation as the key to a shared green energy system that both drives the green transition and strengthens energy supply security:

“The interaction between biogas and other green technologies, the development of value chains for biogenic CO₂ for carbon storage, as well as future green fuels and materials, are crucial—at the same time, AI can support and accelerate regulatory processes for the expansion of renewable energy,” says Lars Kaspersen, Director of Biogas Danmark.

Download the new Roadmap
The recommendations in Innovation Roadmap 2026–2027 will be made operational through the energy cluster’s board and implemented in concrete innovation projects through Energy Cluster Denmark.