From one city
to national change
Kredsløb delivers district heating to more than 330,000 people and collects and recycles waste for 178,000 households in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark. We are owned by the Municipality of Aarhus but operate as an independent corporation.
About 63% of collected municipal and commercial waste is currently recycled or reused.
Despite increased reuse and recycling, significant amounts of non-recyclable residual waste will remain (based on Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities projections). This unavoidable residual waste can, however, be turned into a steady source of district heating and electricity.
Through district heating, we provide an efficient, reliable, and stable energy supply for heating and hot water, which is a necessity for the 330,000 residential and commercial customers in Aarhus.
Incinerating residual waste in our waste-to-energy plant and utilising it as a resource for energy production allows us to reduce the environmental impact of landfills, performing a critical environmental task, while increasing the resource efficiency of energy supply. When coupled with the proposed carbon capture project, we aim to minimise the carbon footprint associated with the services we provide to the community
Environmental responsibility and reliable energy supply: Explore how our value chain offers benefits to the community beyond simple carbon removal.
The project’s financial plan includes several profitable revenue streams, one of which is the CDR offtake agreement. Kredsløb will also be participating in the Danish CCS tender, offering a 15-year subsidy per ton of captured and stored CO2.
Revenues from the supply of recovered surplus heat to Kredsløb’s district heating customers are also part of the financial plan. Kredsløb will ensure the lowest possible price for district heating customers, as mandated under the Danish Heat Supply Act.
Finally, the capture of fossil CO2 is incentivised by savings in EUAs and Danish national CO2-taxes.
Additional sources
of revenue
and better security
CCS plays a central role in Denmark's national climate strategy - both capture and storage. This ensures both long-term focus and an ideal setting for long-term CCS.
Recent years have seen the conclusion of several political agreements in the CCS area and the adoption of new legislation, which creates a better framework for the expansion of CO2 capture and storage in Denmark.
The Danish Energy Agency is currently in the process of designing subsidy pools that will support the development of CCS technologies and establish the CCS value chain, to support excellent conditions for CCS in Denmark.
CCS is a
national strategic
focal point
Responsibly
sourced biomass
The biomass plant primarily uses locally sourced straw, a byproduct of agricultural food production. In times of low harvest, we source additional biomass predominantly from Denmark.
Such additional biomass includes woodchips, which accounted for about 15% of our total utilised biomass over the past five years. Local park and garden green waste is also converted to woodchips for use in the plant.
We continuously strive to source sustainable local biomass for both the current and future supply of green district heating in Aarhus. Kredsløb reports its biomass usage to the Danish Energy Agency (DEA), detailing biomass type, amount, and geographical origin, along with sustainability documentation.
Woodchips are certified through the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) by a third-party verifier (Preferred by Nature). Although there are no certification schemes for straw, providers are required to submit documentation on the sustainability of the straw used to the DEA.
Our approach to
residual waste
Residual waste comprises non-recyclable items such as soiled packaging, hygiene products, certain plastics etc. These materials are either incinerated to generate energy or sent for disposal.
Kredsløb incinerates household and commercial residual waste at our waste-to-energy plant, converting waste into heat and power. Most of this waste is sourced locally or regionally.
Imported residual waste
Kredsløb also provides waste recovery services to European countries like Iceland, Germany, England, and Italy, preventing landfill use and the associated methane emissions and contamination risks. High-temperature incineration breaks down hazardous chemicals while generating energy.
In 2022, less than 1% of waste incinerated at Kredsløb’s plant came from exported waste recovery services, a figure that has remained minimal for five years.
Framework and regulations
Imported residual waste follows the EU Waste Framework Directive, ensuring high reuse and recycling rates. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency ensures compliance with regulations, while Kredsløb maintains high quality standards for both domestic waste and waste shipped from abroad.
Transportation of Waste between the countries is controlled by the Waste Shipment Regulation (EC No 1013/2006) which oversees cross-border waste movement within, into, and out of the EU.
Contact us to find out more about Kredsløb’s BECCS facility and how to buy carbon removal credits.
Reach out to Senior Project Manager Erika Zvingilaite by telephone (+45) 21 56 20 72 or email below.