Research in reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse gases is a key area for DTU. The effort includes new supply technologies with emphasis on renewable energy, high efficiency and no or low CO2 emissions.
Climate change creates the need to quickly reverse the upward trend of global greenhouse gas emissions. This should be done through improved energy technologies and systems that in the short term may have significance for the market. There is also a need for long-term technology solutions that can change the energy system radically in about 20 to 40 years, when the greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, according to the UN's climate panel (IPCC) must be at least halved compared to now.
Sustainable energy supply
The short time taken into account, all technical possibilities to reduce CO2 emissions from existing power generation processes and energy-intensive industrial facilities must be put into service. For example, improvement of process effectiveness, co-firing of fossil fuels with biomass and waste as well as carbon capture and storage. Furthermore, there is a need for new process options to reduce the CO2 emissions.
Intelligent energy systems
Future energy systems will increasingly be combined by large central units and small decentralized units based on renewable energy, which in most cases will be fluctuating. The coupling between energy production and end-user will be closer, and it requires intelligent control, regulation and monitoring of the grid. DTU contributes to the development and optimization of future energy systems. Among other things an increased share of renewable energy and greater security of supply.
Lower energy consumption
It is both technically and economically feasible to save significant amounts of energy consumption in buildings, transport, industrial plants, etc. Furthermore, there is a need for better and more systematic use of tools for life cycle assessment. DTU has significant research activities in these areas.