The CP Kelco factory in Lille Skensved just outside Køge is one of Denmark's biggest CO2 emitters. With an annual emission of 77,000 tonnes of CO2, CP Kelco is in the top 10 on this not so attractive list. However, the company aims to change that with a very ambitious electrification plan. In nine years, the company—which primarily produces food ingredients—could be down to zero emissions.
For many years, CP Kelco has been working on limiting its carbon emissions, and currently more than 50 per cent of the surplus heat from the production is either reused by the company itself or transferred to the local district heating plant.
However, about three years ago it became clear that traditional methods for reducing emissions could only take them so far. It would take substantial change to greatly reduce the company's carbon footprint.
CP Kelco therefore entered into a collaboration with DTU in connection with a research project. The main purpose of the project was to identify possible ways to replace fossil fuels with electricity for industry process heating. One of the cases studied in a master's thesis was an electrification of CP Kelco, and by summer 2019 the two DTU students completed the report. The report described the way forward to completely restructure the production. And CP Kelco was quick to rise to the challenge.
