DHI GroupDHI Group
The Danish wastewater approach is key to diminishing the global climate crisis
News

The Danish wastewater approach is key to diminishing the global climate crisis

PRESS RELEASE BY DI VAND, DHI A/S AND DANFOSS
A new report prepared by DHI for the Danish Water Industries Federation on behalf of the public-private partnership The Danish Water Vision finds that wide-scale export of Danish water technology and solutions could result in massive energy savings and CO2 reductions for the global wastewater sector.

 

Findings presented in the report 'Analysis of the potential contribution to energy and climate neutrality from Danish technology within the global wastewater sector' show that avoided CO2e emissions from existing and new treatment facilities in the global wastewater sector would correspond to seven times the CO2 footprint of Denmark in 2020. It would also offer the sector savings of more than EUR 20 billion per year and even potentially up to 200 billion per year considering current energy price trends.

 

The Danish Water Industries Federation is the leading business association for water in Denmark. Director Mads Helleberg Dorff is impressed but not surprised by the report, 'The Danish water sector can offer decades of expertise as well as solutions and technologies to increase the energy efficiency of treatment facilities. The Danish experience shows that 70% improvement in energy efficiency can be achieved through digitalisation and process optimisation, with a very attractive return on investment.'

 

The report presents estimates of the benefits that the wastewater sector can achieve in terms of energy savings, cost savings and avoided CO2e emissions by implementing leading Danish technologies and solutions. And the benefits are significant. The findings from the study show that transferring the Danish experience in energy optimisation and reduction of direct greenhouse gas emissions can provide global energy savings from existing and new wastewater treatment facilities corresponding to the current electricity production from coal in Europe. The study presents findings at both the city level with Krakow, Valencia and Chicago, the regional level with Europe and the global level.

 

Danfoss was part of the advisory team for the report. The company is a global leader in developing and manufacturing of Variable Speed Drives dedicated for the water industry, offering the critical element of controllability, 'The global water industry is essential for providing clean water and protecting the environment, but this report clearly demonstrates that the industry can also be a major contributor to mitigate climate change, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Besides this, the potential global energy savings are truly remarkable as they are calculated to be equal to the electricity production from all coal-powered power plants in the EU', states Mads Warming, Global Head, Water & Wastewater, at Danfoss.

 

DHI is a global advisory and technology provider in the water sector, and DHI experts are authors of the report. CEO in DHI, Mette Vestergaard, shares her thoughts on the significance of the findings, 'The report is an important confirmation that Danish innovation and expertise in the water sector are paving the way for a more sustainable future with water. The technologies, knowledge and solutions are already here, so now we just have to get them even further out into the world.'

 

About Danish Water Industries Federation (DI Water)


DI Water represents the leading technology provider, engineers, and utilities within the Danish water cluster and across the entire value chain. DI Water attends to the political and commercial interests of the water industry at national, European and global level to promote the business conditions and sustainable water solutions.


Dl water is a sectoral branch within The Confederation of Danish Industries (Dl), which is comprised of 19,000 private enterprises within manufacturing and services covering virtually all business sub-sectors.

 

About Danfoss


Danfoss Drives is a global supplier of a full range water dedicated Variable Speed Drives, offering the so important controllability of water facilities, being key in creating the basis for a much higher energy efficiency and lower GHG emission.


Danfoss is represented in more than 100 countries and have more than 40,000 employees globally. Driven by the potential of an electrified society, and powered by the opportunities of going digital, Danfoss is engineering technology that helps the world to get much more out of less. With the promise of quality, reliability and innovation deeply rooted in our DNA, we deliver an extensive range of products and solutions across our business segments.

 

About DHI


DHI A/S is a global digital advisory company headquartered in Denmark. DHI A/S was founded in 1964 and has more than 1,000 employees worldwide. Our ambition is to enable the sustainable development of the world’s water resources through digital advisory services for decision-makers in the water industry.

How can we help?

With our global network of offices, we make sure you get the right answers to your local needs. Tell us about your water challenges and we will get back to you.