District cooling is more than just ‘cold air’

When people talk about district cooling, most think of comfort: cool offices in summer, temperature-controlled server rooms, comfortable hospital wards. And yes, that is the core service. But district cooling can do much more than that.

District cooling can replace the individual cooling units that currently sit on the rooftops of buildings across the country. Units that use refrigerants with a high climate impact. Units that generate noise and disturb neighbours in urban environments. Units that only consider their own building and not the overall system.

With district cooling, we can phase out harmful refrigerants, recover surplus heat for district heating, and reduce noise in densely built-up areas. This is a triple win for the climate, the environment, and the urban landscape.

But first: the business

Here is the uncomfortable truth. Regardless of how many green arguments one can assemble, district cooling must first and foremost make economic sense. If a district cooling company does not make money, it cannot afford to expand. And without expansion, the green gains remain on paper.

This is not an argument against sustainability. On the contrary. It is an argument for ensuring that sustainability and business are considered together from day one. A sound business is the prerequisite for district cooling to grow, reach more customers, and deliver on its full potential.

What does it take?

Building the business case for district cooling requires several things at once.

It is about understanding your customers. What are their real needs? What are they willing to pay? And what would it take for them to choose district cooling over their own system? The customer journey in district cooling differs from that in district heating — there is no mandatory connection obligation, and customers always have an alternative.

It is about developing the right pricing models. District cooling competes directly with individual solutions, and the price must stand up to comparison. At the same time, the pricing model must ensure a fair return on the substantial infrastructure investments required.

And it is about thinking long-term. District cooling networks have long lifespans and require significant upfront investment. This means being precise about which areas to prioritise, and in what sequence to roll out.

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The other bottom lines follow

Once the business is in place, doors open to everything else. A well-functioning district cooling company can invest in replacing harmful refrigerants with natural alternatives. It can integrate surplus heat into the district heating network. It can contribute to reduced noise and better urban environments.

But the sequence matters. Business first — the other bottom lines will follow. Not because they are less important, but because they require a financial engine to drive them.

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District cooling deserves to succeed

District cooling has enormous potential. Climate change is increasing demand, urbanisation is creating new opportunities, and the technology is mature. But it requires taking the business side as seriously as the green. Because it is through a sound business that district cooling can truly make a difference.

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Industriparkerne kommer – og de er tørstige

Rundt om i Danmark planlægges nye nationale industriparker, der skal huse alt fra PtX-anlæg til avanceret produktion. Det er store, ambitiøse projekter, der kan skabe arbejdspladser, tiltrække investeringer og styrke den grønne omstilling.

Men der er en forudsætning, som sjældent fylder i overskrifterne: vand. Industri bruger vand – ofte rigtig meget vand. Til køling, til processer, til rengøring. Og de nye industriparker er ingen undtagelse. Tværtimod. Mange af de virksomheder, der forventes at rykke ind, har vandbehov, der langt overstiger det, en typisk dansk forsyning er vant til at levere.

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Drikkevand er ikke svaret

Den oplagte refleks er at tænke: jamen, vi har da vand i Danmark. Vi kan bare åbne for hanen. Men så enkelt er det ikke.

Vores drikkevandsressourcer er allerede under pres mange steder. Grundvandet er truet af forurening, overudnyttelse og klimaforandringer. At bruge dyrebart drikkevand til industrielle processer, der ikke kræver drikkevandskvalitet, giver hverken miljømæssig eller økonomisk mening.

Her kommer teknisk vand ind i billedet. Teknisk vand er vand, der er renset og behandlet til industrielle formål, men som ikke nødvendigvis lever op til drikkevandsstandarder. Det kan produceres fra alternative kilder – genbrugt spildevand, overfladevand eller afsaltet havvand – og tilpasses den enkelte industris behov.

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En ny forsyningsform kræver nye samarbejder

Teknisk vand er stadig en relativt ny disciplin i Danmark. Vi har ikke den samme tradition og infrastruktur som for drikkevand eller fjernvarme. Det betyder, at der er meget, der skal bygges op fra bunden: ledningsnet, behandlingsanlæg, aftaler med aftagere og ikke mindst en forretningsmodel, der hænger sammen.

Det kan ingen gøre alene. Kommunerne sidder med planlægningskompetencen og kendskabet til de lokale forhold. Forsyningsselskaberne har den tekniske viden og driftserfaring. Og industrien selv ved, hvad den har brug for. Kun ved at bringe alle tre parter sammen kan man skabe en løsning, der faktisk fungerer.

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Løft sammen – eller lad være

Det er fristende at vente og se, hvem der tager det første skridt. Men industriparker har deadlines. Virksomhederne, der skal rykke ind, træffer beslutninger nu. Hvis vandforsyningen ikke er på plads, vælger de et andet sted – måske et andet land.

Derfor handler det om at komme i gang. Ikke med en færdig masterplan, men med de første samtaler, de første beregninger og de første forpligtelser. Hvad har industrien brug for? Hvad kan forsyningsselskabet levere? Hvad skal kommunen facilitere?

Teknisk vand er ikke bare en teknisk øvelse. Det er en strategisk mulighed for at sikre, at Danmarks nye industriparker får det fundament, de har brug for – uden at vi kompromitterer vores drikkevandsressourcer i processen. Men det kræver, at vi løfter sammen.

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A new player in the utility world

Power-to-X — or PtX — is one of the major buzzwords in the green energy transition. In short, it involves converting renewable energy into other energy carriers: hydrogen, e-methanol, ammonia, or synthetic fuels. The technology is considered a key enabler for decarbonising heavy transport, industry, and agriculture.

But PtX facilities are not merely energy projects. They are also water and heat projects. And that is where things become interesting for utility companies.

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Three roles in one

A PtX facility typically has three touchpoints with the local utility.

First, it is a customer. Electrolysis requires water — purified water in large quantities. This gives utility companies a potentially significant new off-taker, which can strengthen the business and make use of spare capacity.

Second, it is a supplier. The PtX process generates considerable amounts of surplus heat that can be fed into the district heating network. This is a green heat source that can reduce the need for other production facilities.

And third, it is a collaboration partner. PtX facilities need cooling, and in many locations it will make sense to integrate them into a combined energy system where cooling, heat, and water are considered together.

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New parties, new rules of the game

But here lies the challenge: PtX companies are not like the customers utility companies have traditionally served. They are often large, international actors with a high risk appetite, short decision-making cycles, and an expectation of commercial terms that match the private sector.

This requires an adjustment for many utility companies. Suddenly it is not just about supplying water at a fixed price under a familiar tariff. It is about negotiating agreements, assessing counterparty creditworthiness, managing volume fluctuations, and navigating contracts that look entirely different from the usual.

For many, this is unfamiliar territory. And that is perfectly fine — as long as it is acknowledged and preparation is made.

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Commercial competencies and risk management

Collaborating with PtX facilities places demands on the commercial maturity of utility companies. You need to be able to build robust business cases that account for uncertainty. You need to be able to negotiate contracts that protect both parties. And you need risk management capable of handling the fact that the PtX market is still young and uncertain.

This does not mean becoming a private company with profit as the sole purpose. But it does mean raising commercial competencies, so you can enter partnerships on equal terms with the new actors.

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An opportunity that will not wait

The PtX wave is already under way. Projects are being planned and built, and the utility companies that are early to the table hold the best cards. They can shape the agreements, build experience, and position themselves as preferred partners.

For those who wait, the window will narrow. PtX has the potential to become one of the largest new customer groups for utility companies in the years ahead. But only for those who are ready to seize the opportunity — with the right competencies and the right risk appetite.

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Køling er ikke længere en niche

I mange år har fjernkøling været en lidt overset lillebror til fjernvarmen. Men det billede er ved at ændre sig markant. Flere og flere virksomheder, institutioner og boligområder efterspørger køling – og med klimaforandringerne og et voksende behov for komfortkøling i kontorer, hospitaler og serverrum er tendensen tydelig: behovet for køling stiger.

Det har lovgiverne også fået øjnene op for. Derfor bliver køleplanlægning nu obligatorisk for de større danske byer og kommuner. Tanken er god: ved at planlægge køleforsyningen på tværs af et område kan man sikre, at ressourcerne bruges bedst muligt, og at fjernkøling bliver et reelt alternativ til de mange individuelle køleanlæg, der i dag summer på tagene rundt om i byerne.

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Pas på ikke at kvæle det du vil fremme

Men her kommer den vigtige nuance. Køleplanlægning er et værktøj – ikke et mål i sig selv. Og hvis planlægningen bliver for rigid eller for detailstyret, risikerer man faktisk at bremse den udvikling, den burde fremme.

Fjernkøling er i dag først og fremmest en forretningsdrevet disciplin. Det er de selskaber, der har modet til at investere, og de kunder, der ser værdien i at skifte fra individuelle anlæg, der driver markedet fremad. Hvis køleplanlægningen ender med at lægge så mange rammer og begrænsninger ned over udviklingen, at det bliver svært at handle hurtigt og kommercielt, så taber vi momentum.

Det er lidt som med byplanlægning generelt: en god lokalplan skaber rammerne for, at der kan bygges noget godt. En dårlig lokalplan kvæler initiativet.

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Gjort rigtigt kan planlægningen åbne nye døre

Omvendt er der et enormt potentiale i at gøre det rigtigt. En gennemtænkt køleplanlægning kan identificere områder, hvor fjernkøling giver mening, men hvor ingen endnu har taget initiativet. Den kan synliggøre muligheder for at koble køling og varme sammen – for eksempel ved at udnytte overskudsvarme fra køleprocesser til fjernvarme. Og den kan give forsyningsselskaber et bedre grundlag for at investere, fordi de ved, at kommunen bakker op.

Planlægningen kan også være med til at udbrede fjernkøling til nye kundegrupper. Mange virksomheder og institutioner kender simpelthen ikke alternativet til deres egne køleanlæg. En køleplanlægning, der aktivt peger på muligheder og inviterer til dialog, kan være den katalysator, der får markedet til at vokse.

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Vejen frem: balancen mellem plan og marked

Nøglen ligger i at finde balancen. Køleplanlægningen skal understøtte – ikke overtage. Den skal give retning og tryghed, men lade de kommercielle kræfter drive udviklingen i praksis.

For forsyningsselskaber og kommuner handler det om at tænke planlægningen som et strategisk redskab, ikke en detailstyring. Det handler om at skabe de rigtige rammer, invitere de rigtige parter ind og så ellers lade markedet gøre sit.

Fjernkøling har potentialet til at blive en lige så central del af vores infrastruktur som fjernvarme. Men det kræver, at vi planlægger klogt – og ikke planlægger ihjel.

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A growing surplus of heat

Denmark is currently attracting major data centres. Tech giants and cloud providers are investing billions in facilities that run around the clock, processing the data our digital lives depend on. But all that computing power has a side effect: heat. A great deal of heat.

To keep the servers running, data centres must be cooled constantly. And the heat removed from the server rooms typically ends up being released into the open air. This is essentially waste of a valuable resource — because that heat could instead be used to heat homes, institutions, and businesses via the district heating network.

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The potential is enormous — but it does not happen by itself

On paper, this sounds like a perfect solution: data centres get rid of their surplus heat, and district heating companies gain an inexpensive, green heat source. But the reality is more nuanced.

First, the temperature must match. The surplus heat from a data centre is often lower than the temperature required by the district heating network. This means the heat must be upgraded using heat pumps, which costs money and energy. The question is whether the equation still makes sense once those costs are factored in.

Second, there is the question of incentives. A data centre exists to deliver IT services — not heat. For collaboration with a local heat utility to be attractive, the data centre must see a concrete saving, or alternatively some other upside, such as an improved carbon footprint. Examples include lower cooling costs, or greater supply security in the cooling process.

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Collaboration is the key word

This is precisely where things get interesting. When a district heating company and a data centre sit down together and design a shared solution, both parties can win. The data centre can reduce its cooling costs, and the district heating company gains access to a stable heat source that can supplement or replace other production facilities.

But this requires the parties to understand each other’s business. The data centre thinks in terms of uptime, redundancy, and SLAs. The district heating company thinks in terms of supply security, peak load, and long-term investments. Building a bridge between these two worlds requires time, trust, and a willingness to find solutions that work for both.

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The business case must hold — for both parties

The decisive question is always: does it make financial sense? Or at the very least: can we avoid losing money?

For surplus heat from data centres to become a genuine part of district heating supply, the business case must hold water on both sides of the table. This requires realistic calculations, clear agreements on price and delivery, and a shared understanding of risks.

Experience shows that the best projects are those where the parties come together early in the process to explore the possibilities — not with a ready-made solution on the table, but with an openness to finding the right model together.

Surplus heat from data centres is not a silver bullet. But with the right collaboration and the right business model, it can become an important piece of the future green district heating supply.

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En ny type vandselskab er på vej

Danmark står over for en række udfordringer, når det gælder vand. Drikkevandsressourcerne er under pres, industrien har brug for store mængder procesvand, og nye aktører som datacentre og PtX-anlæg banker på døren med helt andre vandbehov end dem, vi traditionelt har forsynet.

I den kontekst kigger en del kommuner mod at etablere et teknisk vand selskab – et selskab, der håndterer vandforsyning til industri og andre formål, adskilt fra den klassiske drikkevandsforsyning. Tanken giver god mening: det giver mulighed for at udvikle nye løsninger, tiltrække nye kunder og beskytte drikkevandsressourcerne på samme tid.

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Men frihed kræver rammer

At oprette et nyt selskab er én ting. At sikre, at det lykkes, er noget helt andet. For kommunerne handler det om at finde den rette balance: selskabet skal have frihed til at handle kommercielt og udvikle nye løsninger, men kommunen skal stadig kunne holde øje med, at det sker på en ansvarlig måde.

Det er her, forretningsrammen kommer ind i billedet. En forretningsramme er i bund og grund de spilleregler, som kommunen og selskabet aftaler fra starten. Den beskriver, hvad selskabet må og skal, hvilke mål det skal opnå, og hvordan kommunen følger op uden at blande sig i den daglige drift.

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Armslængde med retning

En god forretningsramme skaber det, man kan kalde "armslængde med retning". Kommunen definerer de overordnede ambitioner – for eksempel at sikre vandforsyning til en ny industripark, beskytte drikkevandsressourcerne eller bidrage til den grønne omstilling og beskyttelse af vandmiljøet lokalt. Selskabet får derefter friheden til selv at finde vejen dertil.

Det kræver tillid fra begge sider. Kommunen skal turde give slip på detailstyringen. Selskabet skal til gengæld være transparent omkring økonomi, resultater og risici. Forretningsrammen er det dokument, der formaliserer tilliden og gør den konkret.

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Hvad bør en forretningsramme indeholde?

En forretningsramme for et teknisk vand selskab bør typisk adressere en række centrale temaer: selskabets formål og opgaver, de økonomiske rammer og forventninger, rapportering og opfølgning, risikostyring, samt hvordan samspillet med kommunens øvrige forsyninger skal fungere.

Det handler ikke om at lave et 200 sider langt regelsæt. Tværtimod. De bedste forretningsrammer er korte, klare og fokuserede på det, der virkelig betyder noget. De giver retning uden at begrænse udviklingen.

Et fundament for succes

Mange af de kommuner, der kigger mod teknisk vand, gør det, fordi de kan se et behov i horisonten. Måske er der en stor industriaktør, der har brug for procesvand. Måske er drikkevandsressourcerne under pres. Måske er det hele lidt af hvert.

Uanset motivationen gælder det samme: et teknisk vand selskab er kun så godt som de rammer, det opererer inden for. Med den rette forretningsramme kan kommunen give selskabet frihed under ansvar – og dermed de bedste forudsætninger for at levere på ambitionerne.

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