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NEWS: Unanimous City Council adopts Aabenraa's Power-to-X strategy

‎ Date: 30.04.2026

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    Aabenraa Municipality's City Council has unanimously adopted 'Aabenraa Circular', its 2035 Strategy for Power-to-X and derived effects. The strategy sets direction for the maturation of its emerging PtX hub with five additional hydrogen and e-fuel facilities, and for the municipality's green industrial development and sector coupling infrastructure. With Power-to-X as the catalyst for circularity of resources, the strategy integrates renewable energy, waste streams and sustainable production of food and materials. 

    They've done it before and they did it again. 31 local politicians comprising Aabenraa Municipality's City Council all voted a resounding "Yes" to the 2035 Power-to-X strategy, setting direction for the municipality's green industrial development and derived environmental, economic, and social effects for many years to come. The vision, Aabenraa Circular, is the council’s long-term vision for a green industrial push rooted in renewable energy and Power-to-X technologies, and the comprehensive value creation it enables, utilising waste heat for district heating and industrial process heat, and establishing sustainable water resources for industry from wastewater. 

    As such, Aabenraa Circular also reflects the strategy's guiding principle: Establishing circularity of resources and utilities across Aabenraa's 940 square kms, to future-proof the development socially, economically as well as environmentally.

    “I’m proud that we, as a municipality and as a business community, are willing to lead from the front and put Aabenraa on the map when it comes to the green transition,” says Aabenraa Mayor, Jan Riber Jakobsen. “We are venturing into relatively uncharted territory, but we are doing so with ambition and clear goals for broad value creation. We have a vision we believe in - and with this strategy, the City Council has now made the path towards it tangible.”

    Since 2024, green business development has been guided by "More Power to the Green Transition" (Mere power til den grønne omstilling, Lundgaard, 2024), a report outlining how Aabenraa could maximise the derived effects of its emerging green industries — effects that are now beginning to take shape.

    Last year saw the inauguration of the world’s first and largest large-scale Power-to-X facility in Kassø, the location of Aabenraa Municipality's central transformer station, which is being expanded to become Denmark's largest. With three additional PtX plants and two related projects in early planning stages, alongside a council decision to invest DKK 20m in the development of technical water for PtX, data centres and associated industries, the groundwork has been laid for visible results in the years ahead — including jobs and new sustainable businesses.

    “With this strategy, we now have a shared foundation for further development — and Aabenraa has by no means reached its peak,” Jakobsen said. “I’m pleased that the council is taking the next step in our green transition, and that we continue to work as a broad coalition across the council. At the same time, there are still many future perspectives whose full potential we have yet to see — not least in derived industries and employment.”

    At the heart of the strategy lies sector coupling between the energy sector, utilities and new production companies - creating circular resource flows in which waste becomes a valuable input. As global demand for resource efficiency and sustainable solutions continues to grow, Aabenraa’s ability to refine and maximise existing resources will become an increasingly strong competitive advantage. Key projects, including the green industries in Kassø, will play a central role in this development.

    “The strategy is a powerful signal to investors who are already showing strong interest in Aabenraa as an industrial destination," said Hanne Klintøe, Head of PtX Development at Aabenraa Municipality. "Investors need to see a broad and stable political foundation for their projects — we now have that firmly in place. We are working with sectors implementing innovation at the highest level, so they can't afford extra risks. The broad political backing of the Aabenraa Circular strategy clearly demonstrates our long-term commitment and ambition to drive growth and create jobs through the green transition - and not least, how we will achieve it."


    Facts:
    Aabenraa Municipality is home to the world’s first large-scale Power-to-X facility, Kassø PtX by European Energy, northern Europe’s largest solar park, and one of the world’s largest biogas plants - creating a strong foundation for industrial-scale green production.

    The municipality offers highly competitive infrastructure, including easy access to green electricity, the upcoming European Hydrogen Backbone, technical water, gas pipelines for biogas, and full high-speed fibre internet. Combined with international TEN-T rail and road transport, a deep-sea port, and comprehensive dry port and logistics centre by the German border, Aabenraa provides seamless connectivity to European and global markets.

    Local utility companies actively support business development through collaborative projects with companies and partners, enabling large-scale utilisation of surplus heat and the reuse of treated wastewater - further strengthening the circular economy ecosystem.

    Download: 
    Download Aabenraa Circular - 2035 Strategy for Power-to-X and Derived Effects here (in Danish or English)

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