The Danish Government Praises Green Transition of the Food and Beverage Industry
This Tuesday the first results from the project “Electrification of the food and beverage industry” was presented at an opening conference in Copenhagen. The Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries was present at the conference hosted by the Confederation of Danish Industry, and he showed great excitement for the project.
The project “Electrification of the food and beverage industry” revolves around a partnership consisting of The Danish Food and Drink Federation, The Danish Energy Industries Federation, The Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Danish Energy, Technical University of Denmark, and Viegand Maagøe.
The project is financially supported by the Danish Industry Foundation. Based on 20 concrete cases from selected Danish food companies the project will illustrate how industrial processes can be converted from fossil fuels to electricity.
The project is built around four themes, which will be illustrated through a number of companies. The first theme is “drying and evaporation processes”.
Earlier this year the project was launched, and this Tuesday, a large number of Danish food companies were invited to the opening conference to learn about how to electrify their production equipment.
After six months of analyzes and company visits, the project partners were able to show how electrification of the food industry can reduce 2 % of the CO2 emissions in Denmark.
“The analyzes from the companies show interesting potential based on general investment principles. At the same time, it also reduces CO2 emissions significantly,” said CEO at Viegand Maagøe Søren Eriksen from the stage at the Confederation of Danish Industry.
Electrification of production processes supports the green transition of the food and beverage industry. Conclusively, the project strengths the Danish competitive position and promotes the Danish export of green products, technologies, and solutions. Calculations from DTU show that 97 % of all processes and energy use in the food industry can be converted to electricity.
Positive reactions from the Danish Government
The Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Mogens Jensen, was present at the conference to gather inspiration for the Danish Government’s work with green transformation within the industry. He was very excited about the good work in the participating companies.
“The Danish food industry has put a lot of effort and energy into the project. A characteristic of the sector is that you work hard to find solutions, when you face challenges”, Mogens Jensen said.
The companies shared their experiences
The companies represented in the first theme are Lactosan, KMC, Arla Foods Ingredients, TripleNine, and CP Kelco. Three of the companies traveled to Copenhagen to discuss their experiences on the stage.
“It is very important for CP Kelco to contribute to the green transition. Focus on sustainable production is important for our competitiveness. Also, the transition from natural gas to green electricity is a way for us to do it,” says Jørn Stryger, Factory Director at CP Kelco.
At Arla Foods Ingredients they also look positively at the possibility of replacing fossil fuels with green electricity.
“Electrification and optimization are among the most important tools to achieve our goals, and this project could very well be a solution for us,” stated Mogens Bøgh Pedersen, Factory Director at Arla Foods Ingredients.
More than 50 % of the energy consumption in the Danish food and beverage industry is based on fossil fuels.
Many industrial processes can be converted from fossil fuels to electricity and thus simultaneously reduce the energy consumption and displace large quantities of CO2 emissions. A decarbonization by electrification in Denmark will be possible since the plan is to base the power production 100 % on non-fossil fuels in the future.
The project “Electrification of the food and beverage industry” can accelerate the green transition of the industry that shows a significant potential. The project partners are The Danish Food and Drink Federation, The Danish Energy Industries Federation, The Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Danish Energy, Technical University of Denmark, and Viegand Maagøe. The project is financially supported by the Danish Industry Foundation.
