Denmark’s leading energy organisations are all assembled in the new, strong board of Energy Cluster Denmark
2. October 2020
With a board of no less than 22 people and with companies such as Ørsted, Vestas, Danfoss and Total in the circle, Energy Cluster Denmark assembles a board that embraces a wide energy range and must connect the smaller companies’ innovative solutions with the weight of the giants. “With Energy Cluster Denmark, we embrace the entire energy system. This is needed for continuously developing one of the world leading energy industries” – assesses the cluster organisation’s newly elected board of directors.
At Energy Cluster Denmark’s annual general meeting held on the 1st of October 2020, the final board of the new cluster organisation was elected. The cluster organisation brings together all the innovation work across the energy sector, and the new board underlines the industry’s tremendous support. Energy Cluster Denmark must work with energy innovation from production to consumption, and a board with strong representation from the entire energy system guarantees this.
It is precisely the innovation work seen from a unified energy system that makes the cluster’s work relevant and important. This is the assessment of Torben Funder-Kristensen, Head of Public and Industry Affairs at Danfoss Cooling Segment and board member at Energy Cluster Denmark:
“With Energy Cluster Denmark, we have created a Danish cluster that embraces everything from energy creation to energy consumption and consider it a unified energy system. We have not had this kind of composition before, and it is especially crucial right now for the green transition. This cannot be achieved without us linking the sector’s creation of energy with the consumption of energy and everything in between,” says Torben Funder-Kristensen.
The system thinking is one of the main reasons why the industry has now formed a new cluster. Peder Østermark Andreasen, Chairman of the Board, emphasises that the next steps in the transition require synergy across the sector:
“By working hard, we have reached a 70% share of renewable energy in the energy system, but the last 30% demands even more of us. We need to be good, and we especially need to be good together. When we join forces and create sought-after innovation with a unified Danish energy industry, we can solve our common climate challenge,” says Peder Østermark Andreasen.
Connects needs and innovation
It is also this ambition that drives board member Torben Hvid Larsen, Chief Technology Officer, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind. He says the sector must take joint responsibility for achieving the climate goal of a 70% reduction by 2050.
“It is an enormous task that requires us to find solutions across the board. We cannot achieve our goals as an isolated industry. We need to work together across industries and universities and across the various energy sources to achieve the goals. Here, it is Energy Cluster Denmark’s job to be the glue and the link that unites the sectors,” says Torben Hvid Larsen.
Board member Lars Bonderup Bjørn, CEO of EWII, shares this opinion that the cluster is a vital link between industry demand and innovative companies:
“The power of the cluster is found in the large companies, but the power of innovation and much of the technological development takes place in entrepreneurial environments and with people, without the heavy bureaucracy. We must create the opportunities for innovation so that we do not just have blind faith in the large companies but create new horizons through creative people, and in this, Energy Cluster Denmark plays an important role,” says Lars Bonderup Bjørn.
The new cluster organisation has been a reality since 1 July, and the board is drawing up an organisation that has approximately 400 members and a project portfolio of DKK 800 million at the. Glenda Napier, CEO of Energy Cluster Denmark is delighted to have a strong board:
“We have a crucial job to do, which comes with great responsibility. It is fantastic to feel that we also have an overall industry mandate to achieve it,” she says.
The board members of Energy Cluster Denmark are
Peder Østermark Andreasen, Chairman of the Board
Torben Hvid Larsen, Deputy Chairman (MHI Vestas)
Torben Funder-Kristensen, Deputy Chairman (Danfoss)
Ole Hansen, Deputy Chairman (Total)
Sten Arendt Stoltze (Ørsted)
Peter Weinreich Jensen (Siemens Energy)
Ole Hvelplund (Nature Energy Biogas)
Bo Svoldgaard (Vestas Wind Systems)
Per Hessellund Lauritsen (Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy)
Lars Bonderup Bjørn (EWII)
Mogens Tyllesen (Semco Maritime)
Jens Roedsted (FORCE Technology
Jakob Stoustrup (Aalborg University)
Marianne Thellersen (DTU)
Lasse Frimand Jensen (The Municipality of Aalborg)
Niels Axel Nielsen
Peter Rindebæk (Bladt Industries A/S)
Michael Alstrøm (Lundgrens)
Daniel Lux (Seluxit A/S)
Niels-Arne Baden (Green Hydrogen Systems)
Anders Røpke (Wind Power LAB)
Majbrit Høyer (WorldPower Consulting)
For further information, please contact
Glenda Napier, CEO, Energy Cluster Denmark, mobile: +45 42149174
Sune Falther, Press Contact, Energy Cluster Denmark, mobile: +45 61600180
