West Jutland energy storage in the running for the Danish Design Award

“Most people probably think of a chair or other classic products when it comes to awards and honors for Danish design. In 2024, however, design is much more than aesthetics – it’s about making a difference in the world, and our energy storage does that,” says Rune Kirt, Managing Director of the design and innovation agency KIRT x THOMSEN.

The company is one of a number of partners who were able to cut the ribbon earlier this year for a new energy storage facility, housed by Semco Maritime in Esbjerg. The thermal facility is the first prototype of its kind and is based on molten hydroxide salt. It can store green power in the salt, which is up to 600 degrees Celsius, for days without sun or wind, when the energy can be released from the facility again – directly as heat for industrial processes or as electricity and district heating via a steam turbine.

From STEM to STEAM
The facility was developed in the innovation project Molten Salt Storage – MOSS. Here, the companies Alfa Laval, KIRT X THOMSEN, SULZER, Seaborg and Hyme Energy have collaborated with researchers from Aalborg University and DIN Forsyning from Esbjerg. Denmark's energy cluster, Energy Cluster Denmark, is facilitating the project, which is supported by the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP).

Following a successful test of the plant, the intention is to commercialise the product in the global market from 2026 – a technology owned by Hyme Energy.

"The green transition only happens through strong partnerships, and we are proud of the nomination for the design award. The emphasis is on initiatives that create positive change through design, and we have succeeded in this in the MOSS project on the way to a climate-neutral future," says Ask Emil Løvschall-Jensen, CEO and co-founder of Hyme Energy, which as a company has been nominated for a Danish Design Award together with KIRT x THOMSEN as design partner.

According to Rune Kirt, models, animation and other forms of visual storytelling, together with design-driven product development, have been crucial to the realization of the MOSS facility.

“We would like to add an A for Arts to the STEM subjects, which stand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Creative skills such as design and visual solutions, communication and storytelling can create a common language and understanding for innovation and complex, technological solutions,” says Rune Kirt and continues:

“By making the steel tanks from MOSS visible in the overall energy system, we have both created internal clarification in the project group, and we have been able to tell the outside world about our idea prior to the establishment of the facility. With the nomination for a Danish Design Award, we have external recognition that our design-driven approach is making a positive difference in the world,” says Rune Kirt.

This year's winner will be announced on November 19 at a ceremony in the DAC Salen in Copenhagen. The award is sponsored by DDC – Danish Design Center and the industry organization Design Denmark.