As HRH The Crown Prince of Denmark cuts the ribbon to inaugurate the new biomass based block at the Asnæs Power Station, all energy to Novozymes in Kalundborg comes from other sources than oil and coal.
“Today, we complete a circle of investments into energy efficiency and sustainability. Now, our entire supply of electricity, heat and steam in Kalundborg comes from other sources than coal and oil”, said last Friday Thomas Videbæk, Executive Vice President and COO at Novozymes.
An agreement between Novozymes, Novo Nordisk, Kalundborg Forsyning and Ørsted has enabled Denmark’s largest coal-fired power station unit, the Asnæs Power Station, to phase out coal and replace it with wood chips. Novozymes sources steam from the power station.
Novozymes’ production in Kalundborg uses three types of energy: Electricity, heat and steam. Over the years, significant investments have been made to increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Steam was the only remaining energy source not based on renewables.
Since 2011, Novozymes in Denmark has relied on wind power for electricity. In 2013, Novozymes and Novo Nordisk installed a biogas reactors to convert wastewater from their factories to produce electricity and heat. In 2018, Ørsted and Bigadan announced plans to convert biomass residues from Novozymes’ and Novo Nordisk’s factories to biogas.
“Novozymes’ products help tackle the world’s major problems, such as climate change. This makes it only natural to take responsibility for our own impact on the environment”, says Thomas Videbæk. “This new agreement gives us a stable supply of green steam at competitive terms. In this way, it also supports an efficient production in Kalundborg with good jobs.”
The Asnæs Power Station is owned and operated by Ørsted. “With the participation of HRH The Crown Prince, we have now marked the end of a major transformation. Asnæs Power Station has a new and greener life that benefits citizens and businesses in Kalundborg and contributes to Denmark’s green conversion,” said Morten Hultberg Buchgreitz, CEO at Ørsted.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 