Highlights in 2019
High impact innovation activity triggered by MI
Since the launch of MI, Denmark’s specific budget lines for national research, development and demonstration of clean energy has increased from DKK 292 million to DKK 509.5 million in 2019.
Update on clean energy innovation policies and strategies
On 18 June 2020 a broad majority of the Danish Parliament adopted the Climate Act. The purpose of this Act is for Denmark to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 by 70% compared to the level of emissions in 1990, and for Denmark to achieve a climate-neutral society by 2050 at the latest, taking into account the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
On 22 June 2020 a broad majority of the Danish Parliament has adopted a climate agreement on green transformation of industry and the energy sector. Combined with the Climate Agreement for Waste Management, the agreement will reduce emissions by 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2030.
The Climate Agreement for Energy and Industry 2020 comprises the following key initiatives:
- A new era: The world’s first energy islands and more renewable energy
- Investment in green technologies of tomorrow – carbon capture and Power-to-X
- Green transition of industry
- Efficient use of energy and renovations
- Green heating for Danes
- Green transport
- Green tax reform (proposal to be developed by the Government)
Major innovation initiatives and programmes in 2019/20
The commitment to investment in green technologies of tomorrow – carbon capture and Power-to-X – is a key part of the Danish Climate Agreement for Energy and Industry 2020. Achieving the goal of a 70% reduction in emissions in 2030 goal will require innovative new tools and investments in the green technologies of the future. The agreement allocates the equivalent of DKK 800 million annually, to be phased in from 2024, for carbon capture and storage. These funds will reduce emissions of CO2 equivalents by 0.9 tonnes in 2030 and will support the development and implementation of solutions that can capture carbon emissions from sources such as industry and put them to use. The agreement also includes a tender to support the establishment of large-scale Power-to-X plants with a total capacity of 100 MW. This is more than five times the capacity of the largest plants found in the world today. The Netherlands has decided to invest approximately DKK 1 billion in this project.
Private sector engagement in 2019/20
On November 13, 2019, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen presented the Danish government’s 13 “climate partnerships” at a meeting in Marienborg, the Prime Minister’s residence. The 13 partnerships represent all branches of Danish business. The Danish business community has a central role in the green transition and with the climate partnerships, the government wants to work closely with the business community on solving the climate challenges. The climate partnerships put forward their recommendations and plans on March 16. Some of the key recommendations are reflected in the Danish Climate Agreement for Energy and Industry 2020, e.g. on Power-to-X.
Major activities in support of the Innovation Challenges in 2019/20
Leading national experts from Danish Universities have participated in four Mission Innovation challenges: IC1 Smart Grid, IC3 Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, IC4 Biofuels and IC6 Materials.
Denmark has played a central role in advancing the smart grid challenge, e.g. by contributing to the IC 1 Smart Grids Innovation Challenge Country Report 2019 and by co-hosting a total of four events on Flexibility in the energy system, Smart grid solution sprints, Next generation city action and MI energy hack.
Denmark has played a role in establishing collaborations and securing European funding under Horizon 2020 for the BIG-MAP: Battery Interface Genome – Materials Acceleration Platform. The BIG-MAP Platform is a large (€20 million) collaborative research project, which builds upon the fundamental ideas and concepts developed under IC6.
Finally, Denmark has contributed towards the 2nd Mission Innovation conference on sustainable biofuels, Yantai China (2-4 April 2019); participated in the Mission Innovation face-to-face meeting, New Delhi, India (4-6 November 2019) and contributed to the planning of the Mission Innovation Ministers Meeting (round table) in Vancouver, Canada.
Other Mission Innovation related activity in 2019/20
At the 4th MI Ministerial meeting at Vancouver in May 2019, 19 DTU Professor Tejs Vegge, an expert in computer based methods for developing novel energy materials, was appointed as Denmark’s Innovation Champion. Tejs Vegge’s field of research focuses on ways to develop new materials for energy storage much faster, which is a key innovation challenge for developing sustainable energy systems based on fluctuating renewable energy sources such as wind. The Innovation Fund Denmark supported the Mission Innovation activities, e.g. the MI Champions initiative.
National plans and priorities for clean energy innovation
Denmark will show the world that climate action and economic recovery go hand in hand. A broad majority of the Danish Parliament has adopted a climate agreement on green transformation of industry and the energy sector (in June 2020). Combined with the Climate Agreement for Waste Management (also from June 2020), the agreement will reduce emissions by 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2030.
Focus the coming years will be on:
- The world’s first energy islands and more renewable energy
- Investment in green technologies of tomorrow – carbon capture and Power-to-X
- Green transition of industry
- Efficient use of energy and renovations
- Green heating – support for phasing out of oil and gas boilers
- Green transport
- Green tax reform