The delegation consisted of eight decision-makers from Vattenfall in Hamburg and three from the Environment and Energy Agency in city of Hamburg. Their two-day trip around Jutland, Denmark included on-site visits, visits to key organisations within the field, heating plants, and one biomass plant.

Visited sites

On the first day, the delegation visited the world’s largest thermal heat storage pit in the city of Vojens where the Danish company Rambøll explained how the pit works and how it was constructed. Afterwards, the delegation continued to the city of Esbjerg to visit the company Qubiqa who is a leading consulting manufacturer of logistic solutions for conveyance of various forms of biomass for energy and fuel production.

On the last day of delegation’s visit, they went to Aarhus University Hospital where Alectia has installed energy efficient heat pumps using isobutane as a cooling agent. Here Johnson Controls held a presentation on their heating solution at the hospital. Furthermore, the delegation had the pleasure of seeing the new straw-fired biomass plant in Lisbjerg where Burmeister & Wain Energy has been the turnkey supplier of the so-called boiler island for Denmark’s largest straw-fired power plant. Finally, the trip concluded at the small straw-fired heating plant Auning Heating Plant in North Jutland. Here, the Plant Manager showed the delegation around the facility and gave them an insight into the functionality of the equipment and their heat production.

- I introduced the delegation to the plant, the capacity of the plant, the boiler system, the number of consumers, our ownership, and much more during their visit. I guided them around the facility as well. Their interest and inquisitiveness was overwhelming. I got the feeling that they had a nice experience and that they understood how a straw-fired heating plant works by the end of the tour. I would gladly present the plant to other interested visitors, says Plant Manager at Auning Heating Plant, Hans-Jørgen Larsen.

All and all, the visitors received a thorough insight into Danish energy storage solutions, knowledge of Denmark’s use of biomass as a major energy source and the equipment available to make energy and heating production more efficient.

The fact-finding tour was aranged by State of Green and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, specifically the Danish Embassy in Berlin.