FOCUS Denmark
Vol 4 - 2007
Colophon
Title:
FOCUS Denmark
Subtitle:
Vol 4 - 2007
Publisher:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
Responsible institution:
Trade Council
Author:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
Other contributors:
Web: Schultz Grafisk, Print: SaloGruppen, Distribution: Pernille Rude, Advertising: DG Media, Design: Niels Bøving, Photography: Sisse Jarner, English Editor: Nigel Mander, Editorial text: Jacob Benthien, Executive Editor: Jørgen E. Christensen, Editor-in
Language:
English
URL:
http://www.netpublikationer.dk/um/8592/index.htm
ISSN:
1601-9776
Version:
1.0
Version/edition:
02-01-2008
Publication standard nr.:
2.0
Data formats:
html,htm,jpg,gif,pdf,css,js
Publisher category:
statslig
Copyright:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
Notes and other information:
Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, except where otherwise stated. Citations may be made without prior permission, provided the source is acknowledged.
Table Of Contents
In Brief
DANISH BUSINESS COMMUNITY MEETS CLIMATE CHALLENGES
Economy
DANISH WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY LEADS THE WORLD
THE FUTURE IS NOW
SUPERCABLE ON THE WAY
WAVE POWER COMES OF AGE
HELPING OUTCAST SMOKERS
FROM WASTEWATER TO DRINKING WATER
GETTING RID OF WASTE MOUNTAINS
COMPANY PROFILES
In Brief
DANISH GOVERNMENT RE-ELECTED
Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen
The Danish government, which is a coalition between the Liberal and Conservative parties, was returned to power in the parliamentary election held on 13 November 2007. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen called the election to get the mandate for a number of reforms in welfare and taxation. Although the Prime Minister’s own Liberal party lost six seats in the election and opposition parties to the left collectively retained their status quo, the government still managed a majority withsupport from The Danish People’s Party and a single supporting seat from the Faroe Islands. Greenland and the Faroe islands, which enjoy home rule and are self-governing parts of the Danish Commonwealth, elect two members each to the parliament in Copenhagen. A new party formed from breakaway members of both government and opposition parties gained five seats in the new parliament.
After the election, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the leader of the Conservative party, Deputy Prime Minister Bendt Bendtsen, have renegotiated the government’s agenda for the coming term. The new government aims to restructure the tax system and prepare a new package of welfare reform. It also promises to seek broad collaboration across the political central ground of the new parliament. Ministerial positions have been reshuffled in the new government. Former Minister for Finance Thor Pedersen becomes the new Speaker of the parliament. His position is taken over by former Minister for the Interior and Health Lars Løkke Rasmussen. The new Minister for Integration is Birthe Rønn Hornbech, and the new Minister for the Environment is Troels Lund Poulsen. Former Minister for the Environment Connie Hedegaard becomes the Minister for a new Ministry of Climate and Energy. Carina Christensen is the new Minister for Transport, while former Minister for Transport and Energy Jacob Axel Nielsen becomes the new Minister for Health.
According to the Danish constitution, elections must be held every four years. At the election on 13 November, Anders Fogh Rasmussen had been Prime Minister for 2 1/2 years of his second term in office.
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DENMARK RANKS WORLD NO.1 IN TERMS OF PEOPLE’S MUTUAL TRUST
For foreign investors, international surveys which rank the countries of the world on criteria such as business friendliness, competitiveness, transparency and freedom from crime and corruption, can exert a significant influence when shortlisting countries as possible FDI destinations.
Denmark frequently achieves high ratings in such surveys, and has just done so again in an international survey of mutual trust among populations, which shows that 65% of a representative cross-section of Danes believe they can trust other Danes, giving Denmark pole position among 86 countries surveyed. Norway ranked 2nd, Sweden 3rd, Finland 4th and the Netherlands 5th.
The survey also shows that Danes have considerable trust in public authorities. 96% of the respondents expressed trust in the police, 90% in the legal system, 77% in the public administration and 73% in the government, which ranks Denmark No.1 out of 21 countries in terms of trust in public sector authorities and the government.
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THREE MILLION DANES USE INTERNET BANKING
The number of people in Denmark with access to their bank accounts via the internet continues to increase. New figures show that more than 3 million out of the 5.5 million population have now made an internet banking agreement with their bank.
Bank customers with an internet banking agreement increased by almost 100,000 in the first six months of 2007, while the increase since July 2006 has been 250,000.
The number of companies that conduct their banking transactions via the internet also continues to increase. There are now more than a quarter of a million companies using internet banking.
Nordic banks lead the way in terms of numbers of internet banking customers. In the mid 1990s, Lån & Spar Bank was the first bank in Denmark to offer a basic internet banking solution. Later, the major banks followed with more advanced solutions, and since then the range of internet banking facilities has grown tremendously.
Two major banks, Nordea and Danske Bank, have seen extra internet banking activity this year, after having made a number of products free for customers who carry out transactions themselves. Payment of bills and transfer of money to other banks can now be carried out from internet banking accounts without fees being charged, while it still costs money to have these matters attended to in the bank branches.
Even the smallest co-operative bank in Denmark offers internet banking to its customers.
This is possible because all the small banks, savings banks and co-operative banks collaborate on the operation of EDP centrals, making them large enough to develop the advanced systems that run the internet banking facilities.
DENMARK IS THE WORLD’S BEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS, SAYS EIU
A new report prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in collaboration with Colombia University in New York, ranks Denmark as the best place in the world to do business – now and for the next five years.
The report ranks the business environments of 82 countries worldwide.
Denmark shares the top score of 8.8 out of a maximum 10 with Finland, while no less than five countries tie for the runner-up position with a score of 8.7: Singapore, Switzerland, Canada, Hong Kong and the US. The EIU’s business environment rankings model uses quantitative data, business surveys and expert assessments to measure the attractiveness of countries’ business environments. The overall rankings are based on scores for 91 indicators, grouped into 10 business environment categories.
Among the strengths contributing to Denmark’s top placing are its flexible labour market, comprehensive use of IT and ability to optimise use of available resources.
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COPENHAGEN RAISES ITS BID
CONGRESS CITY: Competition to attract international congresses is tough. But Copenhagen and Denmark as a whole have more to offer: unspoilt nature, visitor-friendly cities and conference facilities that function – every time.
In 2006, the congress department of Wonderful Copenhagen, the Danish capital’s tourist organisation, won 27 major bids for international congresses, the highest figure ever. Notwithstanding the fine result, Wonderful Copenhagen is now putting even more efforts into attracting congresses.
“Competition on the congress market between the world’s congress cities is tougher than ever,” says project manager Ulrika Mårtensson of Wonderful Copenhagen. “In 2005 Copenhagen ranked 10th among the world’s top congress cities, but we dropped to 16th in 2006 – although the number of congresses held in the city increased. So we are now strengthening our efforts.”
Wealth of opportunities
Wonderful Copenhagen plans to offer a number of services to international congress organisers that will include a free pass for all public transport in Copenhagen for congress delegates, financial and consultancy assistance for congress planners, and a high level of hospitality.
“Copenhagen has everything that is needed to attract large or small conferences,” says Ulrika Mårtensson. “The city is of a manageable size, at the same time as being a metropolis. The infrastructure works, and it is a safe place without much big city crime. Things function as they should, and hotels and congress facilities are top class. There are also a comprehensive and varied supply of culture, shopping opportunities and restaurants at an international level.”
Close to nature
Frederiksdal conference hotel, located just 15 minutes from the centre of Copenhagen, is among the smaller venues in the market for international congresses. But it very much characterises the special Danish way of going about things.
“We don’t focus on large and spectacular congresses, but on small meetings where our location and service help to create an intimate and enjoyable atmosphere,” says Birgitte Wæde, director of the Sinatur chain comprising six conference hotels owned by the Danish Union of Teachers. The hotels are spread across Denmark, and all are located in areas of scenic beauty.
Historic manor houses
“There is nothing more inspiring than to be able to leave a meeting and go directly out into beautiful surroundings,” says Wæde. “Of course it matters to us that every aspect of a conference must function in a razor-sharp and professional manner. Our conference facilities can compete with the biggest and the best. But when it comes to the soft values, we are in a different class. The quality of the light, the freshness of the air and the natural beauty of the surroundings provide peace as well as inspiration. Our restaurants are excellent and our rooms are ultra-modern, epitomizing the best of Danish design.” The Sinatur chain’s conference hotels can accommodate extended-stay conferences with 5-30 participants or one-day-conferences with up to 150 participants. The six hotels include a couple of historic manors, an elegant mansion and a renovated clothing factory.
Birgitte Wæde at Sinatur’s purpose-built Frederiksdal conference hotel. It is located in an area of scenic beauty just 20 kilometres from the centre of Copenhagen.
DANISH BUSINESS COMMUNITY MEETS CLIMATE CHALLENGES
CLIMATE SUMMIT: Denmark is one of the countries that have committed themselves worldwide to make the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Danish business community offers technical solutions which have enabled Denmark to create continued economic growth without increasing the emission of these gases.
By Line Lagoni Leonhard
In 2009, Denmark will host the international climate summit (COP15), which aims to produce a treaty to replace the Kyoto agreement. Both Danish politicians and Danish business leaders agree that there is a need for common international obligations to meet the environmental and climate challenges. And they agree that Denmark, together with other rich countries, must lead by example and show how economic growth is possible without increasing energy consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases.
“Denmark has increased its GDP by 70% without increasing the country’s energy consumption”
Connie Hedegaard, minister for Climate
“COP15 gives Denmark a really good opportunity to show the world that it is possible to decouple economic growth from CO2 emissions, something a lot of countries find difficult to believe,” says the Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard. “In the last 25 years, Denmark has increased its GDP by 70 per cent without increasing the country’s energy consumption. At the same time, Denmark has committed itself to one of the largest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions – 21% in the period 2008-2012. We will lead by example and show that you can take the climate and environmental challenges seriously at the same time as exports are growing. Today, at least 420 Danish companies employing 60,000 people consider themselves environmental companies, and Danish exports of environmentally efficient technologies have doubled during the last 10 years to DKK 35-40 billion.”
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PLANS TO SHOWCASE DANISH ENERGY SOLUTIONS AT 2009 CLIMATE SUMMIT
Amagerforbrænding, one of Denmark’s largest waste-to-energy plants, plans to create a showcase for Danish energy solutions, World Energy Showroom, when Denmark hosts the UN climate summit (COP 15) in 2009. Amagerforbrænding is located near Copenhagen Airport and the Bella Centre – a large conference venue – where the summit will be held. Ulla Röttger, director of Amagerforbrænding says: “The idea is to show a number of the solutions we are good at in Denmark, in the middle of a major city. The showroom will not market individual products, but whole solutions and concepts. With a location close to the airport, the showroom can be an entry to other solutions in Denmark such as renewable energy in Frederikshavn or hydrogen in Hobro.”
The area where Amagerforbrænding is located already features a number of other energy and environmental technologies: a demonstration geothermal plant for district heating; a coal/oil/ biomass fired power station; a purification plant and an offshore wind farm. There are also plans to make a number of demonstration plants including one for production of biofuel from waste.
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“The Danish business community has overtaken the politicians”
Steen Gade, politician
Steen Gade, environmental spokesman for the Socialist People’s Party, which forms part of the opposition in the Danish parliament, largely agrees with the Minister for Climate and Energy, but thinks that even more can be done. “I think Denmark should use the hosting of the climate summit as an occasion to update its environmental policy. The fact that so many Danish environmental companies are at the forefront internationally is due to political initiatives that date back many years.” Although Steen Gade thinks that new political initiatives are lacking, he is positive about the Danish business community’s competences in environmentally friendly technology and sustainable development. “The Danish business community has overtaken the politicians,” he says and adds: “The business community is ready with technologies but lacks the market, and the government must help them to gain that.” The Danish industrial giant Grundfos is one of the companies that is ready with new technologies. The company has for example developed a pump which can be built into the engine of new cars and reduce the consumption of diesel by as much as 7%. Grundfos is an OEM manufacturer and sells its pumps to the world’s largest manufacturer of engines, Cummins, which uses the pumps in its own products. Grundfos has furthermore entered an agreement with China’s largest engine manufacturer, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company Limited. Grundfos will supply pumps to 2,000 buses which will be put into operation in association with the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Other Danish companies are far ahead regarding environmentally friendly technology. Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems today accounts for approx. 28% of all the electricity produced by wind energy worldwide, giving the company the largest market share.
“Denmark has by far the toughest requirements regarding water environment”
Peter Taarnhøj, BioKube A/S
Among SMEs, Bio-Kube is a supplier of environmentally friendly technology. Peter Taarnhøj is a member of the board in the company, which produces biological wastewater treatment plants and has achieved considerable success in very few years.
“To us, it has clearly been an advantage that Denmark has by far the toughest requirements regarding water environment,” says Peter Taarnhøj. “It has meant that our wastewater treatment plants automatically meet international requirements, because they have been built to comply with the very strict Danish environmental requirements in this area. And that has made it easier for us to start our exports,” he says.
“...second generation biofuel can make a difference”
Steen Riisgaard, Novozymes
Danisco and Novozymes are also among the elite in environmentally friendly and sustainable development. The two companies are global leaders in development of enzymes for production of second generation biofuel.
“There are not many alternatives to liquid fuel, and this is where second generation biofuel can make a difference,” says Steen Riisgaard, President and CEO of Novozymes. He expects that Danisco and Novozymes can be on the market with second generation biofuel in as little as four years.
Energy policy staff employee Henrik Lilja of the Danish Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, has a positive view of the new technologies, but reckons that Denmark could be in an even stronger position if new technologies were combined with those technologies that have already been established and proved functional: “If new technologies such as bioethanol and hydrogen energy are to stand a chance of covering Danish energy consumption in the long term, overall energy consumption needs to be reduced by means of known technologies and energy-saving solutions,” says Henrik Lilja.
Economy
By Frank Øland Hansen, Senior Economist, Danske Bank
TAX-CUTS ON THE WAY
ECONOMY: The outcome of the election on November 13, means that the economic policy of recent years will continue, the freeze on tax hikes will be maintained and the tax cuts planned for 2008 and 2009 will go ahead.
Both before, during and after the election the government and most of the opposition parties were largely in agreement on the course for economic policy in Denmark. This is why there was not much concern ahead of the election about whether the sound macroeconomic policy that has helped Denmark to healthy growth, low unemployment and surpluses on both the budget and the current account could be in jeopardy after the election. That said, there was a clear tendency for the parties to try and outbid each other in the course of the campaign. This, together with hefty wage demands in the public sector, could result in an excessively expansive fiscal policy in the coming years.
Labour force boost
The new policy statement presented one week after the election contained a number of interesting elements that could help strengthen Denmark’s competitiveness. Perhaps most interesting was the government’s proposal to reform the tax system. The aim is a marked reduction of taxes on wage income, including the tax rate on the last krone earned. In a situation with labour shortages, in which there is a need to motivate people to make an extra effort, to attract highly qualified foreign labour and to retain skilled Danes, a more concerted effort to cut marginal taxes is an appropriate strategy. With just 86,000 people (or 3.1% of the labour force) out of work, the shortage of labour is one of the most acute problems on the agenda. To begin with, however, the government will simply set up a tax commission that will deliver its recommendations in early 2009, meaning the government has given itself some breathing space. The policy statement also contained a number of other measures that could help boost the labour force. For example, it should be easier for foreigners to come and work in Denmark, and the “Green Card” and “Job card” schemes are to be expanded.
Referendum on EU opt-outs
The government’s policy statement also paves the way for a referendum on Denmark’s four EU opt-outs. This could open the door to Denmark abolishing the krone and joining the euro zone within a few years. However, it remains unclear whether the vote will come soon, or whether rescinding the four opt-outs should simply be viewed as a declaration of intent for now. No matter what happens, one should probably be prepared for a close race between the ’Yes’ and ’No’ voters. Danske Bank regularly surveys Danish support for participation in the EMU. The latest results show a handsome margin in favour of exchanging the krone for the euro. However, the current ’Yes’ lead does not necessarily translate into a certain ’Yes’ at a future referendum. Previous EU referendums have seen comfortable ’Yes’ leads crumble in the course of the campaign. Denmark is already conducting a very credible fixed exchange rate policy with a narrow fluctuation band against the euro. This means the economic advantages of introducing the euro would probably be relatively limited. The other three Danish opt-outs concern union citizenship, defence and cooperation on justice and domestic affairs.
Danish economy shifting down a gear
Irrespective of the economic policy pursued, economic growth in Denmark is shifting down a gear. Following growth of 3.5% in 2006, growth will probably be just below 2% this year and is unlikely to be higher in the coming years. This is mainly due to the shortage of labour, which is severely limiting the chance to increase production. In fact, labour shortages have already hit export growth this year. The lack of capacity is being exacerbated by demographic developments moving in the direction of a smaller labour force. The baby-boom generation is now beginning to retire and the number of young people entering the labour market is relatively low. Therefore, even a focused labour market policy will probably be incapable of increasing the labour force much in the next few years. That said, there may be a little room for exports to grow, as the consumption spree is being replaced by a more moderate growth in consumer spending. This is very much due to the slowdown in the housing market that has followed in the wake of the interest rate increases of recent years.
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DANISH WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY LEADS THE WORLD
More than 20% of the electricity Denmark consumes is produced by wind turbines. And almost half of all the wind turbines in operation around the world are made in Denmark. Although in recent years industrial giants in many countries have started large-scale production of wind turbines,
Denmark’s Vestas Wind Systems still supplies almost a third of all wind turbines being erected on land and offshore. Danish wind turbines and wind turbine technology today generate electricity for more than 50 million people worldwide, a figure which will increase enormously in the coming years.
Danish sub-suppliers for the wind turbine industry also have a dominant position worldwide, e.g. in the production of blades, operating systems, gearboxes and brake systems. And Danish institutions and universities are among the world leaders in wind energy research. The Danish windturbine industry employs approximately 21,000 people and generates annual revenues of more than EUR 5.5 bn. Denmark’s leadership in wind energy is due to its history and culture, as well as far-sighted political flair. In the early years, when energy from relatively small wind turbines was much more expensive than energy from fossil fuels, wind energy was heavily subsidised. It gave a boost to manufacturers, who developed larger and larger turbines. At the same time, research into wind energy intensified in ever closer collaboration between manufacturers and universities. Today, wind energy is competitive with fossil fuels. And it is completely pollution-free when after 80 days of operation it has produced the energy it cost to produce the turbine itself.
http://www.ens.dk
http://www.windpower.org
THE WORLD’S LONGEST WIND TURBINE BLADE
WIND ENERGY: New technology and outstanding engineering have resulted in the construction of the world’s longest wind turbine blade at 61.5 meters, while at the same time reducing the weight
Does size really make a difference? In the wind turbine industry, the answer is a thundering “yes”. Size is everything. The taller the turbine tower and the longer the blades, the more energy is supplied to the wind turbine. But size also influences weight. The longer the blade, the higher the weight. And then a new difficulty arises, because the pressure on the blades creates stresses that require increased dimensioning of the other components of the wind turbine.
This problem has been solved by the world’s largest manufacturer of wind turbine blades, Denmark’s LM Glasfiber. The company produces the world’s longest blade at 61.5 meters, but with a weight of only 17.7 tons – less than the weight of some considerably shorter blades.
“The challenge of producing a large blade is not proportional to the length of the blade,” says head of information at LM Glasfiber, Steen Broust Nielsen. “Doubling the length of a blade does not mean doubling the development difficulty. The challenge is to optimise performance, weight and price. As a general rule of thumb, the weight of a blade increases by at least the cube of the length. But the LM 61.5 has proved an exception to that rule.” The team which developed the large blade put great efforts into choice of materials and production processes, and created a unique combination of fibres and resin components from which the blade is moulded.
“By keeping the weight under 18 tons, we have succeeded in reducing the stress on the wind turbine, thereby achieving significant savings on the dimensioning of its other components,” says Steen Broust Nielsen. “We have simply moved the limits for what is possible to do in blade production.” Since 2004, LM Glasfiber’s new blades have been rotating uninterruptedly on a 5 MW prototype wind turbine, which supplies power to 5,000 households in Brunsbüttel, northern Germany.
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LM Glasfiber is the world’s largest manufacturer of wind turbine blades. The company has supplied 95,000 blades in total, corresponding to an electricity production of 25,000 MW – equivalent to the electricity consumption of 25 million households.
LM Glasfiber has 13 production and service facilities in 8 countries. It supplies wind turbine blades to 9 of the 10 largest wind turbine manufacturers in the world. The company employs approx. 5,000 people and generates revenues of DKK 3,539 million annually (approximately EUR 500 million).
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RESEARCH INTO FLEXIBLE WIND TURBINE BLADES
WIND ENERGY: Risø National Laboratory, the Technical University of Denmark, conducts research into wind energy and is currently developing a wind turbine blade with a flexible trailing edge that can adapt to the wind. The aim is to imitate the wing action of a hovering bird.
A sizeable part of Danish research in wind energy is being conducted at Risø National Laboratory, the Technical University of Denmark (Risø, DTU). A research group is currently testing a wind turbine blade whose trailing edge can adapt to wind conditions. By equipping the blade with flaps, the blade can better exploit the energy potential of wind.
The flexible blade requires less strength, because it can yield to wind pressure. This makes the blade cheaper to produce, while at the same time the blade exploits the wind more efficiently because its shape constantly adapts to reduce the force of the wind as much as possible. The blade’s service life is thereby increased since the mechanical load on the blade is reduced.
Flexible trailing edge
“A flexible trailing edge reduces the large and damaging fluctuations down through the wind turbine,” says senior research scientist Christian Bak of Risø, DTU. “By protecting the turbine in this way, the risk is reduced of damaging gearboxes and bearings that are exposed to strong wind pressure.”
The idea can be compared to the flaps on aircraft wings that give the aircraft greater load bearing capacity at lower speeds during takeoff and landing. However, these variable-position flaps create noise and destroy the relationship between upward force and resistance, and thus cannot be used for wind turbine blades. Furthermore, flaps on aircraft wings are not continuously adjustable. So the research group is aiming to develop a turbine blade whose entire trailing edge is made flexible and can adjust very rapidly i.e. many times per second.
Optimising energy output
“The flaps we have tested so far are made of a ceramic material, which can be made movable by supplying power to it,” says Christian Bak. “A sensor and a control algorithm tell the actuators how to react to the approaching wind. It all happens at lightning speed, and will not only help to limit the load on the turbine, but also to optimise its energy output.” The research group has patented a blade trailing edge made of rubber. Inside the rubber trailing edge, cells have been constructed which can be inflated with air or liquid, thereby changing the shape. Blades with ceramic flaps and blades with a rubber trailing edge will both be thoroughly tested in a wind tunnel during 2008.
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HYDROGEN VALLEY
HYDROGEN SOCIETY: Hydrogen will have increasing importance in the future, both as an energy carrier and for industrial processing. A small Danish town aims to make itself the centre for this development
Mikael Kau has a vision of making Hobro the centre of Hydrogen Valley
Hobro is a relatively small town in northern Denmark, but it has large ambitions. Hobro aims to be Hydrogen Valley: the beacon that shows the way towards the hydrogen society of the future.
“I am convinced that the hydrogen society will be the future,” says Mikael Kau, director of the town’s growth centre, Cemtec, and the fiery soul of the visions regarding Hydrogen Valley.
“Hydrogen is the answer to the energy problems of the future,” he says. “There are undreamed-of amounts of it, it is pollution-free and the technological development is already so far advanced that it is financially competitive with fossil fuels.”
Commercial electrolysis plant
Hydrogen as an energy carrier is inextricably linked with fuel cells, but in addition, hydrogen is used in a large number of production processes which have nothing to do with fuel cells.
“Clearly fuel cell technology has great potential, but it requires far greater hydrogen production than today, and a completely new infrastructure for distribution and fill-up opportunities,” says Kau. “When Hydrogen Valley gets its own commercial electrolysis plant in the next 12 months for production of highly pure and cheap hydrogen, it is ensured success in business terms because of a neighbouring metal-sintering company that is a large consumer of process hydrogen in its production. In addition, Hydrogen Valley offers Denmark’s first industry plots dedicated to hydrogen-related companies, with an established and functioning hydrogen infrastructure.” Denmark’s world leading role in renewable energy is the dynamo for the ambition level in Hobro. “We must exploit the enormous research and knowledge mass we possess in largely all areas in renewable energy to also comprise hydrogen,” says Mikael Kau. “And Hobro’s location mid-way between three of Denmark’s leading centres for hydrogen and fuel cell research as well as bio energy research –the universities in Aalborg and Århus, and the Centre for Danish Agricultural Sciences near Viborg – makes the town an obvious centre for the cluster that is manifesting itself in the area.”
http://www.hydrogenvalley.dk
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THE FUTURE IS NOW
FUEL CELLS:
Just a few years ago, research in fuel cell technology was an advanced area in space science. Something which perhaps in the distant future might be able to replace fossil fuels for energy production. But the future is already here today.
Denmark’s Dantherm Power is the first company in the world to launch commercial power backup systems using hydrogen-powered fuel cells. In northern Jutland, Denmark, the first hydrogen cars are cruising around the streets of the town of Hobro. And in just a few years, the first micro power plants the size of a fridge could replace both the heating supply and electricity production in ordinary homes.
“Research in fuel cell technology has been conducted in a very rapid and targeted way,” says director Jesper Themsen of Dantherm Power. “That is because the benefits of the technology are so obvious. It is almost pollution-free, and at the same time as producing heat, it produces enough electricity to meet the needs of a whole family. And there are fresh advances being made every single day regarding efficiency, utilisation and size.”
Replacing lead-acid batteries
Dantherm Power is a subsidiary of Dantherm Air Handling, one of the world’s leading companies in climate control systems. Among the parent company’s most important products are climate control systems for the electronic systems that control mobile phone masts. Today, the control systems’ power backup plants consist of 16 large and heavy lead-acid batteries. Dantherm’s angle on exploiting fuel cell technology was obvious: replace the space-consuming and inefficient lead-acid batteries with fuel cells. They take up very little space, and do not need to be replaced anything like as often as the old lead-acid batteries.
“We have also developed a special technology, which in the event of a power outage switches on the backup system in less than a millisecond. It happens so rapidly that even the computer does not have the time to register that it has momentarily been without power,” says Jesper Themsen.
Fuel cells operating the climate control systems in mobile telephone masts
Breakthrough with micro power plants
While basic research in fuel cells continues to be conducted in high gear in many places around the world, Dantherm Power's strategy is to concentrate on integrating the current fuel cells in useable systems. The company does this today in collaboration with a young Danish company, Serenergy, which has developed a fuel cell module that makes it simple and uncomplicated to incorporate the energy supply in the chosen application. In the case of Dantherm Power, it is a backup system for mobile telephone masts.
“The really big breakthrough will come when micro power plants for ordinary homes are taken into use,” says Jesper Themsen. “We can already supply a compact plant that connects directly to for example natural gas. A converter extracts hydrogen from the gas and produces both heat and electricity. The fuel cells themselves currently have a service life of 3 years, after which they need to be replaced. I am convinced that in just a few years, this service life will be almost doubled, and then the big breakthrough will come.” http://www.dantherm-air-handling.com
Jesper Themsen of Dantherm with a stack of fuel cells
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FUEL CELLS MADE SIMPLE
FUEL CELLS: Using fuel cell technology out in the real world, away from research scientists and laboratories, requires that it is made easy and simple to handle. At Serenergy A/S the motto is: we make difficult technology simple and straightforward
Mads Bang with a simple, ready-to-use power plant based on fuel cell technology
Serenergy, a small spin-off company from the Institute of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, supplies the fuel cell units that Dantherm Power uses in its back-up systems for mobile telephone masts worldwide. Serenergy, which is located in Støvring, northern Jutland, buys cell membranes and catalysts from sub-suppliers, but itself designs the cell stacks for the specific purposes of the fuel cells.
“Our aim was to construct a fuel cell which is as simple as a battery,” says Mads Bang, Serenergy’s technical director. “One plug in for hydrogen, one plug out for heat and one last plug out with the electricity. One button for starting the device and in addition just a small fan for cooling. How difficult is that?” Not difficult when you know how. And this is where Serenergy is breaking new ground with its fuel cell units. Mads Bang and his co-founder of the company, Anders Korsgaard, have developed a unique design at Aalborg University for cell stacks that operate at 180°C. A minimum of energy to run the system makes it very efficient, while at the same time minimising the unit price. Another advantage of the 180°C fuel cells, compared to low and high temperature fuel cells, is that Serenergy’s cell stacks are a lot less sensitive to impure hydrogen.
“We have thought it through carefully and logically,” says Mads Bang. “We exploit a large number of existing components and then assemble them in one compact and simple system. The system can also be built up in modules to generate up to 15 kW, which in terms of size takes up no more space than a fridge.” The company is currently busy getting the production tools made that are necessary to produce large batches of the fuel cell modules.
http://www.serenergy.dk
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SUPERCABLE ON THE WAY
ELECTRICITY: Nine of the world’s largest copper electricity cables are required to transmit 3,000 kW of electricity. One new supercable from Denmark’s NKT Cables can replace all nine, while at the same time avoiding the energy loss of copper cables
Dag Willén, head of development at NKT Cables, with the one supercable which will replace nine heavy copper cables
Economic growth and the world’s insatiable need for more energy has put the energy industry under pressure. One problem is the production of energy itself, whether from conventional or renewable energy sources. Another problem is transmitting the energy, especially in big cities where there is no more space available underground for laying electricity cables, and where costs are rapidly rising.
The solution is the HTS supercable, a single cable which can replace nine of the largest copper cables while saving around 75% of the energy loss which inevitably happens in a copper cable because of its intrinsic resistance.
Denmark’s NKT Cables a/s is the world’s first cable manufacturer to offer the supercable on a commercial basis. After more than 20 years of research in superconductor technology and more than six years of practical use in various pilot projects, the first TRIAX superconducting cable is coming on the market.
Conducting at minus 200°C
“Those teething problems that any new technology naturally generates have been solved,” says Dag Willén, head of development at NKT Cables. “The fine adjustments have been made, and the price of the individual cable components is rapidly on their way down. We are now close to the point of intersection where the price of a conventional copper cable and a supercable meet.” HTS (high temperature superconductor technology) is a young technology based on the discovery of a ceramic material which becomes superconducting when it is cooled down to minus 200°C. In addition to being able to transport around five times as much capacity as conventional copper cables, the voltage loss has been reduced to a tenth.
“The cable is built around three phases with a core through which liquid nitrogen flows,” says Dag Willén. “The cable has some small built-in pumps which distribute the nitrogen around the phases. The whole process takes place
continuously, and the energy loss mainly comes from the energy that runs the pumps.” The first time that NKT Cables put its supercable into commercial use was in a transformer station in Copenhagen in 2001. The 30 metre long cable made it possible to avoid building a completely new transformer. It has been working ever since without problems, while NKT Cables’ technicians have refined the cable to its current form. The second generation cable is now deployed in a number of projects in New York and in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, the so far longest cable of six kilometres is to be installed in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Ready for mass production
“All around the world, electricity companies are probably among the most conservative when it comes to taking new technology into use,” says Dag Willén. “To them, security of supply is paramount and so they prefer well-known and thoroughly tested material. We have proved that HTS technology works, and that it is far more reliable at intermediate voltage than conventional cables at high voltage. The supercable does not require extra space underground, but can be installed as a direct replacement of existing copper cables, while at the same time removing the necessity for a number of transformer stations across the entire cable grid. Briefly stated – a lot more energy in a loss less space.
Dag Willén believes that the breakthrough for HTS technology as the future carrier of large amounts of electricity will come with the three ongoing projects, which will lay the foundation for making the supercable really competitive.
“The future now lies in the production phase itself – upscaling production and optimising all the cable components. The cable is already transitioning from development laboratory to actual large-scale production. And we are right at the cutting edge, ready to deliver.”
http://www.nktcables.com
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New York has an insatiable appetite for electricity. But each time new supplies are needed by the city, it requires costly new systems and enormous investments in transformer stations and cables. A joint venture between NKT Cables and America’s Southwire is now supplying a new type of HTS cable for the electricity company ConEd in New York. The cable can be installed without expensive excavation and at the same time removes the necessity for several current transformer stations, thus freeing up valuable new lots of land.
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WAVE POWER COMES OF AGE
WAVE POWER: The inexhaustible potential of the oceans for energy production is on its way to becoming realised. A wave power machine has proved that it is viable and the way is now open to commercial electricity production
Imagine an enormous, 40 cylinder car engine lying in the water, whose only fuel is the waves. Rows of floats do the job of pistons, raising and lowering as the waves glide through the engine, the motion converting mechanical energy into electrical energy – in one long, infinite sequence that will only stop when the oceans cease to have waves.
“And that will never happen as long as the earth is structured as it is,” says Per Resen Steenstrup, director of Wave Star Energy. “The weather may be calm or it may be stormy but there are always waves, either high whitecaps or large, lazy swells. Our wave energy machine constantly has something to work with.”
Surviving storms
Wave Star Energy will be among the first in the world to present a full-scale operational wave power machine with an output of 6 MW. So far, the company’s 1:10 scale model has been working without interruption for 10,000 hours. The test machine has survived seven storms, three of which were extreme.
“The test machine has proved that we have got the right technology,” says Steenstrup. “There is constant continuity in the electricity production; we have solved the storm-proofing issue in a simple and effective way and by basing our components on known and thoroughly tested materials and technologies, we have achieved an exploitation level that is better than even the best wind turbines.” Problems regarding storm-proofing have turned out to be especially tricky with other known wave energy machines. In contrast to other machines that float on water, the Wave Star machine is fixed to a steel pile construction. It has a builtin hydraulic system that can lift up the entire construction, so that the movable floats are lifted out of the water during very severe storms. Commercial electricity production “History is filled with spectacular wrecks of wave power machines, which effectively stopped further development,” says Steenstrup. “We have solved that problem, so now we are producing a 1:2 scale machine that will generate electricity out in the North Sea about 10 kilometres off the Danish coast. It will be located near the world’s first large offshore wind turbine park at Horns Rev, have an output of 500 kW and will be directly connected to the wind turbines’ electricity grid.” Wave Star Energy’s objective is to be competitive on price with the largest off-shore wind turbines, which Per Resen Steenstrup sees happening in 10 to 15 years, taking into account that wind turbines have been under development for 25 years to reach where they are today.
“An ordinary offshore wind turbine only exploits around 40% of its capacity because of varying wind. Our machine exploits 50 to 55%, primarily because in addition to functioning when there are ordinary waves, it also exploits the ocean swell which is there all the time.” The 1:2 scale machine at Horns Rev will be ready for operation in 2009. It will be batch-produced and form the model for a later, full-size machine.
http://www.wavestarenergy.com
HELPING OUTCAST SMOKERS
SMOKING RESTRICTIONS: Despite increasing restrictions on smoking in many countries, between 20 and 25% of the western world’s population continues to smoke. SmokeSolution is a smoking cabin that helps smokers counteract collegial exclusion
They huddle in small groups, braced against the wind, rain and cold outside office buildings. In airports, you see them outside the departure lounges, staring fixedly at the clock while making the most of the last few minutes before departure. In manufacturing companies, you see them crowded into small, foul-smelling cages. They are the outcasts. The smokers.
“The principle has been established that nobody should be unwillingly exposed to tobacco smoke,” says Jon Krogh, technical director of the Danish company SmokeSolution. “Everyone has the right to clean air. But at the same time, we would like to help those who do smoke to avoid being ostracised by society, by providing them with the opportunity to enjoy their vice in comfortable conditions.”
Prohibition with negative effects on revenues
Like it or not, the fact is that on average, 25% of Europeans and 20% of Americans above the age of 13 smoke tobacco. And although restrictive legislation in recent years has brought about a reduction in the number of smokers, the prohibition has also had negative effects.
“Without touching on the moral issues, the fact remains that many businesses are experiencing negative effects from smoking restrictions,” says Martin Longhi, managing director of SmokeSolution. “Amusement arcades and casinos have seen their revenues halved. In airports with only few places where smoking is permitted, shops are seeing revenues tumble. In food companies, where staff is neither allowed to go outside nor smoke indoors, stress has risen and the ability to concentrate has fallen. And around a quarter of all people in employment see it as a burden to work, not a joy.”
“I see smoking cabins as a really good concept. It is unique that we smokers do not expose our surroundings to passive smoking risks, while at the same time everybody enjoys a tangibly better indoor climate.”
Kenneth Jahn Andersen, Sales Director, TDC Business
Generous non-smokers
Since Denmark introduced restrictions on smoking in August 2007, SmokeSolution has quadrupled its sales of smoking cabins. The company has also seen sales climb on a number of foreign markets.
“With smoking restrictions now in place in many countries, the sentiment among non-smokers has started to
change,” says Jon Krogh. “Many non-smokers now feel that they can be generous towards their smoking colleagues, and so the introduction of indoor smoking cabins has become an active part of staff care. Smokers should not be excluded, but given opportunities without affecting non-smokers.” Both directors point to active policies to restrict smoking as the most significant driver of the company’s growth, but they also believe that their well-designed and effective solution plays a major part.
“A smoking cabin must work well, and work reliably,” says Jon Krogh. “And the fact that the cabin is also a stylish and elegant element in a modern office layout is an additional benefit.”
http://www.smokesolution.dk
| SmokeSolution’s smoking cabins are based on an air extraction rate of 600 m3 air per hour. The smoke-containing air is filtered both mechanically and with active carbon filters, after which the air is re-circulated. A service contract with the company ensures that filters and ashtrays are replaced every six months. The price of a cabin designed for up to six smokers at a time is about EUR 12,000. |
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FROM WASTEWATER TO DRINKING WATER
WASTEWATER: After four days of biological treatment, household wastewater from the toilet, kitchen and bathroom becomes clean water again. Microbacteria make a clean sweep of the dirt
There was a jug of water and a pot of coffee on the table when Stephen Djaba and Seth Okla from Solarland Co. Ltd. in Accra, Ghana, visited the Danish company BioKube. The aim of the meeting was to introduce the two Ghanaians to the secret of BioKube’s wastewater treatment plant that is based on a unique biological treatment concept. The water on the table could have been cleaned wastewater, but since most people have reservations about drinking this, it is normally reused for irrigation.
“Our concept for cleaning wastewater is based on a patented technology that is among the best in the world,” says Peter Taarnhøj, executive chairman of the board at BioKube. “The EU has established some general requirements in its Water Framework Directive on how clean wastewater needs to be purified, but in Denmark these requirements have been tightened to become the strictest of any EU country. It means that wastewater treatment plants developed in Denmark must meet these tightened requirements. And so does BioKube’s, at the same time as these requirements help to facilitate exports because our plants are always better than those of our foreign competitors.”
Small decentralised plants
Wastewater treatment plants are generally associated with large municipal or regional plants where wastewater from thousands of households, companies and factories are cleaned mechanically and/or chemically/biologically before it is returned to the environment. BioKube’s plants on the other hand, are noted for their small size and decentralised function.
“We supply plants that can handle wastewater from a single house with five people up to a large village plant,” says Peter Taarnhøj. “And almost everything in between, corresponding to treating between 1 and 1,500 cubic metres of wastewater every 24 hours.”
Bacteria eat the dirt
The heart of BioKube’s plant is a Danish patented system of bio-blocks – finely meshed PVC filters with a total surface area of several square kilometres. When wastewater is pumped through the filters, a natural flora of bacteria is formed, which feeds on the nutrients in the wastewater. By pumping air, and thereby oxygen, through the wastewater, the bacteria are given further opportunities to multiply and thus consume more nutrients. Before the wastewater is led through the bio-blocks, it passes through a pre-settlement tank where solid residues are collected.
“Of course this is a very simplified description of the principles,” says Taarnhøj. “But the point is that what happens in the plant is based on natural processes. In a brook in nature for example, the water is oxygenated when it runs quickly over densely packed obstacles, so it is clean and clear, while stagnant water become brackish and turbid. It is the former process we are imitating, with the addition of some high technology that helps to manage the process with precision.”
Communal toilets in Ghana
BioKube is not a product-manufacturing but a product-developing company. All components for the wastewater treatment plants are produced at sub-suppliers, and sales are handled through licensees or dealers. It is as potential licensees that Stephen Djaba and Seth Okla from Ghana are visiting BioKube.
“Very few houses in Ghana have their own toilet,” says Mr. Djaba. “There are communal toilets in residential areas, and our plan is to establish a BioKube pilot plant in connection with such a facility in Accra. Today all wastewater from communal toilets is collected in large tanks and transported by truck to the sea. Our vision is to make beaches into attractive tourist areas where people can swim. And to make the wastewater into clean irrigation water for our fields, and the sludge into valuable fertiliser.”
Local production
The production of the plants will be carried out locally in Ghana – in the same way as it is currently done in Denmark, Poland, France and Kuwait. BioKube has dealers in a large number of countries worldwide.
“Because of the strict environmental legislation in Denmark, we have had to develop the best technologies in the world,” says Peter Taarnhøj. “It is that knowledge and competence we are selling. But the physical production itself will be carried out locally. And the potential is gigantic. In Denmark alone, around 90,000 isolated properties must have wastewater cleaning before 2013, according to the EU Water Framework Directive. In Europe, the figure is around 25 million. And then I dare not think of the global figure. But for the sake of our future water resources, the problem needs to be tackled. It cannot happen fast enough.”
http://www.biokube.dk
GETTING RID OF WASTE MOUNTAINS
It grows and grows – the mountain of human-made waste. Denmark alone produces around 14 million tons of waste annually, corresponding to approximately 2.5 tons per head of population. And the figure is increasing in line with economic growth.
Nevertheless, it is the cleanness, tidiness and lack of waste dumps across the entire country which often makes the greatest impression on foreign visitors. That is because of what is called “The Danish Model” in international waste management.
“The Danish Model” is a unified waste system where municipalities are required to handle all waste from both households and industry, including dangerous waste. It is carried out through either large, shared municipality companies, or through private sector companies that specialise in collecting household and industrial waste as well as recycling.
The system operates with a high degree of waste sorting which is necessary for a high degree of waste incineration and recycling.
Denmark was the first country in the world to introduce a ban on depositing organic waste and waste suitable for incineration. The ban has increased waste incineration dramatically, at the same time as energy exploitation has been increased in connection with the conversion to heat and power production in the waste incineration plants.
“The Danish Model” is also based on a finely-meshed matrix of financial controls, where taxes and fees help to ensure that as few resources as possible are lost, and as much as possible is recycled or exploited for heat and energy.
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STOPPING HAZARDOUS WASTE
HAZARDOUS WASTE: Hazardous waste is still being dumped in many places around the world, where large stocks of pesticides represent a potential toxic bombshell. The Danish way of handling hazardous waste is setting a new standard in many countries.
In the old days, pesticides for the agricultural sector were produced independently of any relationship between consumption and demand. When an agricultural collective had pesticides delivered, in many cases the pesticides were just put into stockrooms – stockrooms which today represent a huge source of pollution to groundwater and a direct danger for the local population.
So says project manager Michael Hansen of the Danish consulting engineering company Niras, which is among the world leaders in managing and disposing of hazardous waste.
Toxic bombshell
“There is no doubt that old stocks of pesticides are one of the world’s largest problems regarding hazardous waste,” says Michael Hansen. “There are huge amounts lying around worldwide, in rusty old drums that leak directly into the groundwater. They are toxic bombshells, which fortunately are now being taken care of in many places.”
Niras’ department for hazardous waste management is based on Chemcontrol, previously a subsidiary of Kommune kemi, a shared facility for hazardous waste management owned by the Danish municipalities. Kommunekemi was among the first large facilities in the world especially intended for safe management of hazardous waste. It originated directly from Danish waste legislation, which has been a model for waste policies in many countries around the world. Niras acquired Chemcontrol three years ago, and the company is today involved in hazardous waste projects worldwide.
Designing Malaysia’s first waste combustion plant
“We provide assistance from consultancy on waste legislation and preparation of feasibility studies to implementation of legislation,” says Michael Hansen. “We often face highly complex problems, often with many different interests that need to be considered. But most authorities are fortunately realising that something
needs to be done. The days when hazardous waste was just dumped randomly and a blind eye turned to it, are coming to an end.” One of the most successful projects Niras has been involved in is in Malaysia, where Danish funding for developing countries (DANCED) in the 1990s was used to assist the start-up of a plant for disposal of hazardous industrial waste. Niras designed the first combustion plant and subsequently supervised the construction of the facility. In addition, Niras carried out significant training of staff which lifted their technical competences to a high level in a relatively short time. Today, the plant treats more than 80,000 tons of hazardous waste annually. Because of its success, Kualiti Alam Sdn Bhd, the company behind the waste treatment centre, has given Niras a new contract to design a new, combustion plant for treating all types of combustible hazardous waste, including chemical waste and hospital waste.
CLEAN CUSTOMMADE WATER FOR THE WHOLE WORLD
WATER TREATMENT: Clean water can mean many things. It covers a vast number of variations depending on where the water comes from, how it is treated and what it will be used for.
Denmark’s Silhorko-Eurowater A/S is one Europe’s leading manufacturers of water treatment plants for drinking water and process water in industrial companies. The company can supply exactly the water quality that is needed in the individual case. From ordinary drinking water with salts and minerals, to water for boilers or turbines where salts and minerals are completely or partly removed, to ultra-pure water for production in clean-room environments.
“Almost all industrial companies use water in one form or another as part of their operations,” says Torben Buhl, director of Silhorko-Eurowater. “Feed water for boiler plants, water for analysis purposes in laboratories, water for rinsing items in production prior to surface treatment, water for cooling, water for the production of beer, soft drinks and spirits. These are just some of the multiple tasks we encounter as a water treatment specialist.”
Increasing demands on water quality
For more than 70 years, Silhorko-Eurowater A/S has built up competences in water treatment for many different industrial applications, using a wide range of technologies based on filtration, membrane filtration and ion exchange.
“There are many reasons why industry requires special water, but the short answer is that there are constantly increasing demands on the quality of products, while production processes are becoming further automated and more high-tech – which means that production equipment is becoming more sensitive – which again makes higher demands on process water,” says Torben Buhl. “At the same time, industry is trying to optimise processes and reduce the environmental impact of production through for example reuse of water.”
Rapid local solutions
Today the company, best known outside Denmark as Eurowater, supplies water treatment plants worldwide. Since the composition of water depends on the source –ground water, lake or river – and varies considerably depending on local conditions – Eurowater carries out customers’ water treatment tasks as close to their geographical location as possible. As a result, the company has 40 representations in 25 countries, either through its own offices or through local collaboration partners.
“Closeness to our customers is of the greatest importance to us – because we know how important it is to them that we provide quick solutions. Operational reliability and rapid solutions to our customers’ continuous operation and optimisation tasks in water treatment are essential for such an important resource as water in a modern company,” says Torben Buhl.
http://www.eurowater.com
FROM WASTE TO ENERGY
INCINERATION: If the world is to avoid drowning in waste, it either needs to be reused or exploited for energy. In Denmark, combustion of waste is obligatory, and that has given Danish companies a technological lead in efficient and environmentally friendly waste combustion
Inconel welded directly onto the tubes
If waste can be reused, then it must be reused. If it cannot be reused, but can be combusted, it must be combusted. For many years these have been the central principles of the Danish waste model, which has now also been implemented at European level via an EU directive. This is not just to reduce the waste mountains, which in some parts of the world are engulfing entire cities and regions, but also to squeeze as much energy as possible out of the waste.
30 tons per hour
Even before Denmark made waste combustion obligatory – it was the first country in the world to do so – a Danish company had built up substantial expertise and technological know-how in the area. With a heat exploitation of more than 90% and simultaneous electricity production of almost 30%, combustion plants from Babcock & Wilcox Vølund are among the world’s best.
“Way back in 1931, we built the first waste combustion plant, and since 1934 we have exported plants to the entire world,” says sales director Kenneth Jørgensen, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund. “It has added up to more than 500 plants, of combustion capacities ranging from 10 tons per hour to more than 30 tons an hour.”
Grates that dry wet waste
Babcock & Wilcox Vølund’s core competence lies in the design of the grates on which the waste lands when it is fed into the furnace. This is a crucial area, because the ability of the grates to distribute and dry the often very wet waste is of critical importance to the combustion itself. Other important areas where the company has considerable expertise is in the design and construction of the combustion boiler.
“The parameters for quality in a combustion plant are energy efficiency for both heat and electricity, the ability to combust as much waste as possible with the least possible residual ash, environmental friendliness with as little emission as possible after flue gas scrubbing, and a low maintenance requirement,” says Kenneth Jørgensen.
Technologically advanced welding technique
Over the years, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund has developed and improved the technology that is used in the waste combustion plants. One of the company’s technical innovations is lining the boiler tubes with Inconel, an extremely resistant metal with a high content of nickel. Previously the boiler tubes that conduct steam to the electricity turbines were protected by a fire resistant material, but ceramic materials are very exposed and can cause many operational shut-downs and expensive service checks. With the new technique of welding Inconel directly onto the tubes, it is only necessary to carry out a service every fifth year.
“We are among the few in the sector who have mastered the special welding technique required with Inconel,” says Kenneth Jørgensen. “It probably makes us more expensive than our competitors, but then there is less maintenance which makes our plants far more efficient.”
http://www.volund.dk
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COMPANY PROFILES
The following Company Profiles have been submitted by the Advertisers in this issue
Aalborg Energie Technik a/s
Alfred Nobels Vej 21 B,
DK-9220 Aalborg Ø
Denmark
Phone: +45 96 32 86 00
Fax +45 96 32 87 00
Web: http://www.aet-biomass.com
Aalborg Energie Technik a/s (AET) is an engineering and contracting company. The company mission is to develop, design, engineer, construct and commission power plants and combined heat and power plants fired with all varieties of biomass such as wood-chips, bark, demolition wood, wood-waste, wood-dust, poultry litter and meat & bone meal, and our aim is to be and continue to be one of the leading capacities within the field. Further AET provides any service assistance in connection with operation and maintenance, requested improvement or new requirements.
The plants built by Aalborg Energie Technik a/s can use a single fuel as the only fuel or more fuels in combination. The concept chosen is based on our well-tested combustion technology and has proven outstanding high reliability and availability. The company has standardised and modularised its products and thus selected an interesting niche for plants ranging from 20 to 150 MW fuel input.
Global Green Energy A/S
Heibergsgade 36, st. th.
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
Phone: +45 86 12 62 00
Fax: +45 86 12 62 48
E-mail: jpa@globalgreenenergy.com
Global Green Energy A/S is a leading Danish wind power developer. The company was established in 1999 and today we are represented worldwide having subsidiaries in Italy, Estonia, Germany, Sweden and China.
Global Green Energy’s primary core business activities include development, construction, financing and sale of wind power projects abroad with our main markets located in Europe, yet in 2006 we also started up our Chinese activities. As we are constantly looking for new markets and new business partners, we are-always interested in exploring new business opportunities with companies who are interested in our business segments.
Global Green Energy possesses the skills and know-how to develop, finance, construct and operate wind energy projects, ranging from green-field development to the full management of operational wind energy projects. Furthermore, we also acquire fully developed projects.
Lingtech A/S
Nansensgade 19, 8.
1366 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Phone: +45 33 25 71 71
Fax: +45 33 25 61 71
Web: http://www.lingtech.com
Lingtech A/S is an innovative provider of translations, interlingual and intercultural services, specialising in Cross-national Understanding. Our firm, which was founded in 1993, develops and offers solutions to promote Cross-national Communication focusing on how to deal with linguistic and cultural differences. At Lingtech, we work professionally with the concept of Cross-national Understanding.
- How can you rapidly and efficiently ensure that customers in many different countries will understand your products and ideas, as well as the product concepts that you have spent time and money developing?
- How can you convince customers in many countries that you understand them, despite the linguistic and cultural differences between you? How can you turn linguistic and cultural diversity into a strenght, instead of an obstacle?
The international services we provide include localisation and translation of technical texts of any kind into any language. Furthermore we offer seminars, workshops and teambuilding in Cross-national Communication and Cross-cultural Collaboration. At Lingtech A/S we see it as our utmost priority to develop programs based on the specific chalenges our customers are facing.
A/S Dampskibsselskabet Torm
Tuborg Havnevej 18
DK-2900 Hellerup
Denmark
Phone: +45 9200
Web: http://www.torm.com
TORM is the second largest shipping company in Denmark and the World’s largest transporter of refined oil products. Founded in 1889, TORM owns and operates more than 100 ships, both product tankers and bulk carriers, and was the first to introduce pooling, which has now become common practice in shipping.
TORM has been among Denmark’s fastest growing shipping companies in the last six yearss, and is the world leader in product tankers. In 1990, TORM introduced a pooling concept, where shipping companiesmade ships available for a single operator. This benefits both customers and shipping companies, since there is always a ship available in the right place. TORM operates three different product tanker pools, in the MR, LR1 and LR2 segments. The partners are among the world’s most prestigious ship owners. The combined product tanker pool totals approx. 80 ships, of which TORM owns or charters about half. 14 new ships are on order for delivery during 2007-2009. The companyalso operates about 20 dry bulk carriers. TORM shares are listed on Copenhagen Stock Exchange and at Nasdaq in New York.
DONG Energy A/S
Kraftværksvej 53
Skærbæk
7000 Fredericia
Denmark
Phone: +45 99 55 11 11
Web: http://www.dongenergy.com
DONG Energy´s business is energy. We guarantee a reliable supply of energy and a responsible utilisation of our natural resources.
DONG Energy is founded on many years of experience. For more than a century, we have been supplying electricity and heat - and since the early 1980s natural gas - to customers in Denmark and neighbouring countries.
We have more than a million customers. The largest market is Denmark, but in recent years sales have increased significantly in Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands. Our customers range from private households to large-scale industrial companies and public-sector customers, and they all require different energy solutions. For this reason, DONG Energy provides target-oriented products, services and advice to meet the needs of each individuel customer.
Innovation is a natural part of our everyday work. For more than 25 years, DONG Energy has been involved in the extraction of the oil and gas reserves in the North Sea, and our power plants are now among the most efficient and least polluting in the world. As a pioneer in establishing and operating offshore wind farms, DONG Energy has amassed powerful expertise in this area, and today the company is a world leader in wind energy. Furthermore, we participate in the development of cutting-edge technologies such as fuel cells, solar energy and wave power.
Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S
Gydevang 35
3450 Allerød
Denmark
Phone: +45 48 14 00 22
Fax: +45 48 14 01 50
E-mail: bwsc@bwsc.dk
Website: http://www.bwsc.dk
Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC) is a world-leading provider of power plants using a wide variety of advanced technologies utilizing biogas, biomass and traditional fuels to produce combined heat and power. We deliver plants and services fully compliant with specific local needs and the latest environmental requirements.
Our experience and expertise is built on more than 100 years of servicing in 49 countries. We cover every aspect of the turnkey process from plant design, engineering and project implementation to rehabilitation, operation and maintenance -often under very challenging circumstances in remote corners of the world.
We also take a leading role in the development of IPP companies with establishment of all commercial and legal agreements including power and fuel purchase as well as financing, insurance, land lease, etc. Throughout the years, we have established long-term relationships with our clients ensuring mutual respect, trust and competence to set new standards based on professionalism and uncompromised quality. Furthermore, we are fully aware of our responsibility in balancing the need for power with developing environmentally sound solutions in a world where energy consumption sets new records every day.
We strive for a future where renewable and clean energy sources will be the major contributing factor to continued growth and prosperity all over the world.
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Version 1.0. 02-01-2008
Publication may be found at the address http://www.netpublikationer.dk/um/8592/index.htm
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