In the development towards more sustainable heavy industries, Denmark’s top 42 emitters in the industrial sector have slashed their CO2 emissions by 17 percent on average over the past two years.

This is shown by calculations, conducted by DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) based on new data from the EU Commission.

Read the original article from DR (in Danish)

The slash in emissions is largely rooted in a decision made by the Danish Parliament in 2020, forging a political consensus to introduce the CO2 tax targeting the industrial sector. While this tax is slated to take effect next year, its impending implementation, alongside increased prices for EU carbon allowances, has effectively heightened the cost of environmental pollution.

Consequently, companies are finding it more economically advantageous to gravitate towards green initiatives, fostering a more environmentally conscious industrial landscape.

From coal to biogas: ROCKWOOL factories reduce CO2 emission by 70%

One of the companies from Denmark’s heavy industry sector, which have managed to slash their emissions over the last couple of years, is Rockwool.

Once known for its high emissions, ROCKWOOL has managed to significantly reduce its CO2 emissions by switching from coal to biogas for heating its ovens that melt stones to produce insulation panels. This shift has led to a 70 percent reduction in CO2 emissions at its Danish factories, dropping from over 70,000 tons to 17,000 tons in the past several years.

Frank Ove Larsen, Managing Director of ROCKWOOL in the Nordics, credits this achievement to the use of biogas and acknowledges that a broad political agreement on a CO2 tax played a role in their decision.