A new Danish innovation project is developing methods and software that can help energy-intensive industries shift away from gas and oil – and, importantly, show when district heating is the most competitive alternative. The ambition is clear: enable a 15% reduction in CO₂ emissions in the Danish process industry by 2030 and scale solutions across the rest of Europe.
Photo above: “We build a digital twin of the company’s energy system and add scenarios on top: What happens if we connect to district heating, reduce gas consumption, or add solar PV and an electric boiler? This makes it much easier to show where both costs and CO₂ can be improved — also from an ESG perspective,” says Linn Laurberg Jensen. Photo: Energy Cluster Denmark.
For many companies, process heat still relies heavily on natural gas. With rising CO₂ taxes, that path becomes increasingly expensive. RAPIDH – Renewable and Affordable Process-Integrated District Heating – brings industrial companies, district heating utilities, consultants and researchers together to identify viable fossil-free options.
Digital models reveal the best energy mix
A central part of the project is a new process tool in energyPRO that allows users to create digital twins of industrial sites and test different future scenarios. This makes it possible to compare district heating, electric boilers, heat pumps, solar PV and reduced gas consumption – and combine these in an integrated analysis of both process heat and district heating systems.
The aim is to give companies fast, robust calculations on both CO₂ and economics. At the same time, the new tool strengthens the ability to integrate surplus heat, optimise across industrial areas and support more efficient energy use in local district heating networks.
District heating as a competitive component
For DBDH, the project highlights a key message: district heating can play a bigger role in decarbonising industry than many assume.
“Closer integration between industry and district heating can improve energy efficiency, provide stable and affordable heat, and strengthen competitiveness,” says Hanne Kortegaard Støchkel, project development manager at DBDH. “RAPIDH helps show where the real value lies – not only for a single company, but across the wider energy system.”
Strong interest from industry
The project partners are already seeing considerable interest from industrial companies looking for reliable answers at a time when ESG requirements and CO₂ taxes increase pressure to transition. The new Danish tax reform will raise the CO₂ price on fossil-based process energy to DKK 750/tonne by 2030 outside the EU ETS, making alternatives more attractive.
RAPIDH’s tools will also be used for education and training of future operations and energy managers, strengthening skills in analysing complex energy systems and investment decisions.
European relevance
The solutions are being tested in Danish and German cases with the aim of supporting Europe’s broader goals for energy efficiency, emissions reduction and industrial competitiveness. Better coordination between industry and district heating is highlighted as a necessary step for meeting EU energy and climate targets.
Source: Press release from Energy Cluster Denmark, adapted by DBDH.
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