News Details
The energy is now assembled in one new cluster organization in Denmark
Denmark is a world leader within renewable energy production, coherent energy systems and energy efficiency. However, it requires lots of new energy technologies, increased innovation power and further cooperation to stay ahead, realize ambitious 2050 target and contribute to the European common ‘Green Deal’.
As of 1st of July 2020, three divided danish cluster organizations including House of Energy, CLEAN Energy and Energy Innovation Cluster, merged their collective strengths into one new, national cluster organization: Energy Cluster Denmark.
The new cluster organization thereby unites the entire energy sector. The merged was implemented as to enhance synergies across the energy sector, increase the joint technology work and innovation activities from energy production and energy infrastructure to energy storage and energy efficiency – topped up with sector coupling, system integration and digitization.
Backed by representatives such as Total, Ørsted, Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, Danfoss, Green Hydrogen Systems, Ewii and Nature Energy among its members and board of trustees, the new energy cluster has a broad and all-encompassing base representing every aspect of Denmark's energy sector.
All innovation activities are demand-driven
A close collaboration with relevant energy and industry organizations through a few newly established Innovation Boards provide important strategic grounding and direction for the cluster organization's work. To further anchor the innovation projects in the industry, Energy Cluster Denmark only initiates and facilitates new technological collaborations and innovations in areas where members, industry and knowledge institutions see the greatest need and potential.
“The demand-driven and stakeholder sponsored innovation approach is key to all collaboration within our cluster”, says Glenda Napier, CEO in Energy Cluster Denmark: “This ensures, that the energy sector’s biggest challenges are unleashed in innovative projects, and the new solutions always commercialized at the end”.
Setting the agenda for 2021 - Energy technologies to watch
The innovation power of Energy Cluster Denmark has recently been strengthened further after securing DKK 100 million from the national EUDP-funding scheme, which releases six new innovation projects. With these projects, Energy Cluster Denmark will learn more about CO2 underground storage, Power-to-X, thermal energy storage and drone inspections of offshore structures - and whole lot more.
“Denmark has been able to lift the potential of the green transition. However, in order to continue solving our global climate challenge, we need to join forces to unlock the development potential of these energy technologies”, says Glenda Napier.
Joint Cluster Cooperation will boost the green transition in Europe
The European Commission has set ambitious targets towards a climate-neutral society by 2050. This imposes great challenges for the energy transition in Europe. To reach the target, cluster organizations in Europe and especially those in neighboring countries need to join forces and foster transnational collaborations in the public and private sectors.
“We need to matchmake academia, innovative companies, start-ups, innovators, SME’s and large organizations and other actors of the energy ecosystem together, in order to develop innovation projects supporting the development the energy system of the future. I also envision a lot more cross-sector collaboration as to meet our 2030 and 2050 climate and CO2 targets. In practice, we talk about “sector coupling”, when increasing the span of renewable energy into for instance the transport sector”, says Glenda Napier.
Energy Cluster Denmark will continue their work with the northern German clusters, especially Renewable Energy Hamburg, to explore the opportunities for collaboration within innovation activities and towards the development of EU funded projects within wind energy, sector coupling incl. Power-to-X and storage for the benefit of energy industries of Denmark, northern Germany and all of Europe.