Engineering consultancy within green energy transition

Esbjerg wants to be Denmark’s energy capital. That is the declared goal, which in the coming years will make the city a leading force in the green transition. With its own Power-to-X Hub. As a base for offshore wind production activities and Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) in the North Sea. And as a ‘frontrunner’ in the production of tomorrow’s fuels. It is in Esbjerg that innovation, investments, energy technology, and experience must come together into a higher unity.

Water supply for the fuel factories of the future

A good example of this can be found at the utility company in Esbjerg, DIN Forsyning. Here, within a few years, they must be ready to deliver enormous amounts of very clean water to the large Power-to-X plants that will establish themselves in the Esbjerg area.

For the large PtX potential to be realized, it requires access to sufficient amounts of green electricity, which will be used for electrolysis, and in addition a number of regulatory approvals. But also the water supply to the plants can thus be on a critical path. It would be both expensive, demanding, and less sustainable if these plants had to be supplied with groundwater.

Therefore, DIN Forsyning has initiated a collaboration with NIRAS to investigate whether treated wastewater or contaminated groundwater can constitute the water supply for power-to-x production.

”We see great potential in being involved in developing the technology regarding the use of treated wastewater for Power-to-X,” says Søren Nøhr Bak, who is a specialist in industrial water treatment at NIRAS, and continues:

Strong local presence – with an international background

To support the visionary development in Esbjerg, NIRAS has an important stronghold at Esbjerg Harbor. The long-standing local office, currently located in the White House, delivers expert knowledge to many and varied projects for major clients such as Esbjerg Municipality as well as several West Jutland utility and wastewater companies and private and governmental clients.

NIRAS’ local office in Esbjerg has in recent years been experiencing good development, where the office has grown to 10 employees, all working as expert consultants in the utility sector – for example with sewer separation, site development, climate adaptation, utility technology, and treatment plants. But just like Esbjerg, NIRAS also has big plans and continued growth ambitions for the local presence in West Jutland – plans with a clear connection to the green energy transition.

NIRAS is ready to deliver engineering consultancy that can support the transformation to renewable energy sources and industrial advances that take important steps towards more sustainability. NIRAS is working purposefully to become the leading engineering consultancy within future electricity production and distribution, offshore wind and energy islands, as well as green fuels. They have laid out a long-term energy strategy for these ambitions – a strategy they call GREENsition.

This is a development that very much includes Esbjerg and their local office in the White House. And naturally with support from 2,400 colleagues in the rest of the organization. NIRAS is among Scandinavia’s leading consulting engineering firms with a broad range of expertise within process plants, industry and construction over energy, environment, water & supply to infrastructure, development aid, and urban planning.

From their 51 offices in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, they contribute to solutions for a wide range of the biggest societal challenges.