New research and innovation partnership will make Denmark the center for Power-to-X and the green fuels of the future

August 23. 2022

The MissionGreenFuels partnership must work to phase out fossil fuels in shipping, heavy road transport, aviation and the maritime shipping industry towards 2030. It must help Denmark meet one of the biggest challenges in the green transition. It is one of the Innovation Fund's four Innomissions, which must contribute significantly to the green transition.

The vision for MissionGreenFuels is to contribute to the Danish, European and global climate goals, specifically 70% reduction in 2030 and net zero in 2050, and to support Danish research, innovation, growth, jobs and export potential within green fuels.

- We must aim to reduce Denmark's CO2 emissions by 70%. This requires us to develop the green fuels of the future. There is great potential for a strengthened Danish position within Power-to-X. With a targeted effort, especially within heavy land, ship and air transport, I believe it is possible that Denmark's energy system in 2050 will be based on 100 per cent renewable energy. With the mission-driven partnerships, research and innovation efforts become concrete and goal-oriented, says Education and Research Minister Jesper Petersen.

A partnership with a focus on the short and the long term

MissionGreenFuels works on two overall parallel tracks with a starting point in research that must ensure the implementation of new knowledge and new solutions in both the short and long term. One track focuses on the commercial scale-up of already known technologies, the realization of large demonstration projects and the construction of new value chains targeted at buyers in the transport sector in the relatively short term.

The second track, also on the short track, is about research into new business models and forms of financing, behavior and citizen involvement in the construction of power-to-X facilities (PtX). These are facilities that produce fuels and chemicals from the electrolysis of hydrogen.

PtX can be part of coherent energy systems where unstable renewable energy sources such as wind energy are used to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen. Subsequently, the hydrogen is included as a raw material in, among other things transport fuels.

In the longer term, there must be a focus on the development of completely new and more efficient processes for the production, storage and conversion of green fuels, which must contribute to the green transition.

- Transport by water, by land and in the air puts a tremendous strain on the climate. Therefore, a green conversion of the transport sector and the development of green fuels is one of the most decisive ways to become a climate-neutral society. The MissionGreenFuels partnership has a key role in making Denmark independent of fossil fuels, says Anders Eldrup, head of Innovation Fund Denmark.

In the design of MissionGreenFuels, the partnership has operated with an interim board that brings together industry, academia, research and GTS. The new board has just been appointed and will meet in July.

Up in scale, down in price

According to the temporary chairman of the partnership behind the green mission, Kim Grøn Knudsen, Head of Strategy and Innovation in Topsøe, the effort is mainly about getting the production of green fuels up in scale and down in price.

- If Denmark is to occupy the global PTX scene, then it must be with great effect. This means that we have to scale up as far as PTX production is concerned and at the same time reduce production costs far. These are the steps on the way to becoming a global leading nation in the field, and IM2 must contribute to that, says Kim Grøn Knudsen.

Partnership platform that accelerates research, innovation and green transition

MissionGreenFuels must be the platform that creates the framework for several new partnerships and transversal collaborations with actors from the entire value chain to flourish and thereby accelerate the green transition. Currently, almost 60 partners among companies, SMEs, universities, knowledge institutions/GTS are involved in the mission.

The green mission is launched with a new, joint secretariat to promote Power-to-X and green fuels in Denmark. The secretariat is based at Aalborg University in collaboration with the cluster organisation, Energy Cluster Denmark (ECD) and the Danish Center for Energy Storage (DaCES).

The Secretariat is drawing on already established organizations and structures, their extensive platforms, networks and activities within green fuels, research and relevant actors. A Head of the Missions Secretariat will be recruited to lead and implement the MissionGreenFuels partnership at AAU.

In order to achieve the targets for reducing greenhouse gases, the secretariat will support the partnership's vision and look beyond 2026 and build the basis for value creation for current and new partners in a longer perspective.

Facts about MissionGreenFuels

The partnership has been launched with a temporary board (Board of Directors BoD) representing industry, academia, research and GTS. The new board has been appointed and will meet in July with the election of a chairman and deputy chairman. The chairman of the board has the overall responsibility for executing the roadmap, portfolio management and project initiation in close cooperation with the other members of the board

New research and innovation partnership will make Denmark the center for Power-to-X and the green fuels of the future

A partnership with a focus on the short and the long term

Up in scale, down in price

Partnership platform that accelerates research, innovation and green transition

Facts about MissionGreenFuels

Partners in MissionGreenFuels