Leading Danish district heating companies Sønderborg Varme and Thisted Varmeforsyning have signed a collaboration agreement with Carbon Clean to engage and collaborate in applying for a subsidy from the Danish Energy Agency’s CCS Fund.

The partnership will allow Carbon Clean to explore opportunities to deploy its carbon capture technology in Denmark, which has emerged as a leader in the decarbonization of heavy industry in Europe, having introduced a range of encouraging policy initiatives in the past year. As part of the collaboration agreement, Carbon Clean will focus on deploying its cutting-edge CycloneCC carbon capture technology at three selected energy from waste sites, with the support of Scandinavian Energy Contractors (SEC).

This project is expected to capture over 100,000 tons of CO₂ annually, contributing to Denmark’s goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 2.3 million tons per year by 2030. Preparations are already underway to define the delivery model, assess permitting requirements, and coordinate technical integration with suppliers across the value chain.   

Aniruddha Sharma, Chair and CEO of Carbon Clean, said:

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Sønderborg Varme and Thisted Varmeforsyning to advance their carbon reduction goals with the first deployment of this innovative carbon capture technology in Denmark, in close cooperation with SEC. Our modular ‘carbon capture in a box’ solution can be delivered in just weeks, bringing a new era of decarbonisation to the Danish market, a market that presents a number of policy incentives for carbon capture players like ourselves.”

Erik Wolff, CEO of Sønderborg Varme, said:

“For Sønderborg Varme and Sønderborg municipality, carbon capture is an important piece in achieving a CO₂-neutral energy system in Sønderborg. Carbon Clean's innovative technology fits perfectly with an efficient district heating system like ours, where surplus heat is utilized effectively.”

Thomas Kristensen, Chairman of the Board of Thisted Varmeforsyning, said:

"At Thisted Varmeforsyning, we are proud to be part of this consortium as part of our efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to an absolute minimum. We have been working on carbon capture for years and have found the best possible partners to help us realise our ambitions. We were the first Danish waste incinerator to install and operate a pilot project on carbon capture, and now we can be among the first to go full scale. Denmark has the potential to become a key player in global CCUS, but no country can do it alone, so we need to bring international competencies into play – and that is exactly what we are doing in this partnership.”

At the heart of CycloneCC is the breakthrough combination of two process intensification technologies: rotating packed beds (RPBs) and Carbon Clean’s proprietary APBS-CDRMax solvent. This FOAK modular technology application of RPBs to a carbon capture plant is a gamechanger for the energy from waste sector, where space constraints often prevent deployment. By replacing conventional columns with RPBs, CycloneCC reduces both the size and cost of carbon capture plants by up to 50%.