Two clusters get a leg on Lolland – welcome to Energy Cluster Denmark and WE BUILD DENMARK

26. August 2021

About the collaboration with Energy Cluster Denmark:
Lolland’s green power must be fully promoted in the development of the energy system of the future. This is the goal of the new collaboration between Denmark’s business promotion cluster and Lolland’s large energy partnership, REEL. This will create new green growth for the Danish energy cluster.

The Danish cluster organization for the entire energy sector, Energy Cluster Denmark, will in future work closely with Lolland’s large energy partnership REEL. The goal is to develop strong green solutions for a unified energy system. Energy Cluster Denmark unites the energy sector on a common innovation platform, which will transform the Danish energy system into a common, climate-friendly alternative. There is great potential in developing this on Lolland.

“Lolland is one of the places in Eastern Denmark where solutions for the energy system of the future can best be tested, shown and scaled to the rest of the country”, says Poul Erik Lauridsen, director of Gate 21, where the partnership REEL is anchored and continues:

“Lolland currently produces eight times more renewable energy than they can use themselves – and we already have strong partnerships between the municipality, the region and the large utility companies, which attract solutions and investments. Therefore, it is quite obvious that we strengthen the collaboration with the energy cluster here on Lolland, where all the central forces for energy conversion in the Zealand region are gathered, ”he says.

Partnerships for green transformation and growth

Energy Cluster Denmark has offices in Copenhagen, Aalborg, Aarhus, Fredericia, Sønderborg and Esbjerg, and with the new partnership will also have a physical representation on Lolland, where the cluster will have a place in the old juice station in Horslunde, which houses Gate 21´s local office on Lolland.

Here, Energy Cluster Denmark becomes part of that strong network. The partnership Ren Energi Lolland, which the metropolitan area’s supply company HOFOR, Lolland Municipality and the green partnership, Gate 21 is behind, brings together regions, municipalities, companies and research on the green transition. Region Zealand’s large utility company Andel is also part of the partnership, which together runs a number of national and international projects that find, test and scale solutions for the energy system of the future based on 100 percent renewable energy.

“We are very much looking forward to working with strong partners to help unleash the potential on Lolland as a test area for new green energy solutions”, says Glenda Napier, CEO of Energy Cluster Denmark:

“The energy system of the future must be able to integrate more green energy into new sectors. For example, it is about helping shipping, aviation and heavy land transport with credible, CO2-neutral alternatives, and it is about ensuring a greener district heating supply. It requires
lots of renewable surplus energy to develop. Lolland has it, and therefore it is interesting for us to be involved in events and innovation projects under the auspices of REEL ”, she says.

Common focus, knowledge sharing and scaling

REEL and Energy Cluster Denmark will collaborate to create new energy solutions that provide the opportunity to store green energy in, for example, hydrogen or other forms of energy, which provide better utilization of renewable energy, and which can potentially create new green jobs.

“Lolland produces seven times as much green electricity as the island itself uses, but the large amount of surplus electricity must be utilized better. We are very much looking forward to contributing to the common goals of a climate-neutral society – locally on Lolland, in Greater Copenhagen, in Denmark and in the long term throughout the world as we break the technological code with storage technologies and sector coupling towards the transport sector – also here on Lolland ”, says Glenda Napier.

About the collaboration with WE BUILD DENMARK:

A strengthened collaboration and access to the huge Fehmarn project, which is building an 18 kilometer long tunnel between Denmark and Germany, is the core of the collaboration between REEL and WE BUILD DENMARK. There are good opportunities for strengthened synergy, knowledge sharing and sparring for both parties.

Northern Europe’s largest infrastructure project is currently taking place in Rødbyhavn on Lolland. There will be a local construction boom for the next many years, and therefore it is interesting for Denmark’s cluster for construction, WE BUILD DENMARK, to be as close as possible. The collaboration with Ren Energi Lolland, REEL can strengthen knowledge sharing and local ownership. WE BUILD DENMARK will also physically have access to office space in Saften in Horslunde, where REEL has its daily walk.

“The fact that we can fly into an office space and use meeting facilities at Ren Energi Lolland means that we as an organization can offer our employees to work close to the construction site. It gives us good opportunities to be close to companies and other stakeholders and thereby also strengthen the network and alliances in Region Zealand, ”says Christina Melvang, CEO of WE BUILD DENMARK.

WE BUILD DENMARK is already working closely with Gate 21, where REEL is anchored. With the physical office space and contact with REEL, the common network becomes even stronger. Director of Gate 21, Poul Erik Lauridsen, talks about the collaboration:

“For REEL, it is always rewarding to have partners who use our facilities for various reasons. It is our experience that it provides a good view for all of us. When we share thoughts and knowledge, we also get the opportunity to develop projects together. In Horslunde, we have good facilities for meetings, and we also have an exhibition that shows Lolland’s development in the green transition. The more people who come by, the greater local synergies we can build, ”he says.

WE BUILD DENMARK has offices in Aalborg, Odense, Næstved and head office in Albertslund. Here they share premises with Gate 21. Gate 21 is the anchor for the partnership Ren Energi Lolland, which the capital area’s supply company HOFOR, Lolland Municipality and Region Zealand’s large supply company Andel are behind.

Contact info

WE BUILD DENMARK
Christina Melvang, Adm. direktør
christina.melvang@webuilddenmark.dk // +45 2023 1634

Energy Cluster Denmark
Thomas Ebdrup, Head of Communication & Events
teb@energycluster.dk // +45 2972 7685

REn Energi Lolland
Tine Vinther Clausen, Sekretariatsleder
tine.vinther.clausen@gate21.dk // + 45 5356 7009

Gate 21
Poul Erik Lauridsen, Direktør
poul.erik.lauridsen@gate21.dk // +45 3153 2565