We have the ambition
to be part of the
future energy supply
We want to contribute to sustainable development in the local environment in which we operate. Consequently, we support local activities that aim to make Kalundborg an attractive place to live, work and study.
Green building blocks in the refinery of the future
In the future, the refinery could be transformed into a Power-to-X mega factory capable of providing the required volumes of green fuels and green heat. We have the size, critical infrastructure and the skills to play a central role in the transformation of heavy transport, shipping, and aircraft, where direct electrification is not possible.
A full transition to green fuels is long ways away but there is much we can do in the meantime. We are already working on concrete projects that will make production more sustainable and form the central building blocks of the refinery of the future.
Carbon capture and storage can reduce our climate impact
Kalundborg Refinery could be among the first to develop CCS on a large scale in Denmark. With the necessary framework conditions in place, it is realistically possible to capture and store 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually from the refinery by 2030. This corresponds to about one-third of the refinery’s current emissions – with potential for even more capture and storage after 2030.
Carbon capture and storage is far from a new and unknown technology. For several years, we have been exploring the possibility of reducing our CO₂ emissions using CCS, and we are simultaneously in the unique situation that Kalundborg Refinery is located close to a geology particularly suitable for storing CO₂ safely and on a large scale.
Together with the actors responsible for exploring the possibility of storing CO₂ underground near Havnsø, Kalundborg Refinery will explore the possibility of capturing and storing about one-third of the refinery’s annual CO₂ emissions underground near the refinery.
Large-scale production
of low-aromatic jet fuel
Studies show that up to two-thirds of an aircraft’s climate impact does not come from CO₂ emissions but from non-CO₂ effects, primarily due to contrails. This challenge can be managed with a simple technological solution while we wait for the development of full-scale SAF, a collective term for jet fuels made from more sustainable sources such as green hydrogen.
We call the solution low-aromatic jet fuel. By adding a small amount of hydrogen to the jet fuel, reducing the amount of so-called aromatics, which act as a kind of lubricant in the fuel, we get cleaner jet fuels with significantly lower climate impact.
Research suggests that halving the aromatic content will reduce the non-CO₂ effect by 20 percent. It will also give cleaner combustion and significantly fewer ultrafine particles from the exhaust. The earlier the requirement is introduced, the greater the climate benefit that can be harvested in the interim period while we wait for full-scale SAF.
Kalundborg Refinery already has the facilities, technologies, skills, capacity, distribution channels, and safe and environmentally sound production, but to proceed with large-scale production of low-aromatic jet fuel, political support is needed to go in this direction for the development of greener jet fuels in Denmark.
Green power from
offshore wind turbines
In 2020, Kalundborg Municipality used three times as much electricity as it produced. The main reason for this is the heavy industry, which accounts for almost 75 per cent of electricity consumption and is looking at a growing need as industrial processes are electrified so that energy can come from renewable sources.
At Kalundborg Refinery, we have a strong focus on promoting the supply of renewable energy. The aim is to replace current energy sources and enable the establishment of plants that could produce green hydrogen for green fuels in the future.
Right now, access to greener electricity is in short supply in Kalundborg and throughout West Zealand, and setting up more and larger offshore wind turbines near the energy-intensive companies in Kalundborg is a central building block in our plans to transition the refinery to a greener future.
We are constantly seeking to increase our visibility and influence through our presence in innovation arenas for greener fuels. Dialogue, partnerships, and alliances are the key to achieving our ambition of becoming a large-scale supplier of fossil-free energy sources.
Niels Bech
Director Strategic Development
We are constantly seeking to increase our visibility and influence through our presence in innovation arenas for greener fuels. Dialogue, partnerships, and alliances are the key to achieving our ambition of becoming a large-scale supplier of fossil-free energy sources.
Niels Bech
Director Strategic Development
Did you know that we support the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals? We contribute to social, economic and environmental development in the local environment in which we operate.
