That is the question at the heart of Technofix, a new podcast hosted by journalist Kaare Svejstrup and INNO-CCUS Director Karina Marie Søgaard. Through conversations with researchers, companies and other experts, the podcast explores the opportunities and challenges of developing and scaling CCUS technologies.

“Technology alone will not solve the climate crisis. But neither will we solve it without technology. With Technofix, we want to explore what it takes for promising CCUS technologies to move from research and pilot projects to solutions that can make a real difference,” says Karina Marie Søgaard.

The first three episodes feature guests from INEOS and Climeworks. Together, they discuss topics including CO₂ storage, Direct Air Capture and the challenges of making new CCUS technologies scalable and commercially viable.

Technofix is available on Spotify and other major podcast platforms.

Appointed by the Board of Directors based on nominations from INNO-CCUS partners, the board brings together expertise from across the CCUS value chain. The establishment of the board reflects a broader shift within INNO-CCUS from a focus on individual technology areas towards a stronger focus on the value chains that enable CCUS solutions to create climate impact.

The board will serve as an expert sparring partner to the Board of Directors and Secretariat, helping to identify emerging opportunities and challenges and providing strategic input on developments within the CCUS field in Denmark and internationally. The members have been appointed for the period June 2026 to June 2028.

Members of the INNO-CCUS Expert Advisory Board

• Dorette Müller-Stöver, Associate Professor at University of Copenhagen
• Frantz Bræstrup, Senior Team Leader at FORCE Technology
• Jacob Ladenburg, Professor and Head of Section at DTU Management
• Niels Hemmingsen Schovsbo, Senior Researcher at GEUS
• Philip Loldrup Fosbøl, Professor at DTU Chemical Engineering
• Thomas Helmer Pedersen, Professor at Aalborg University
• Tobias Pape Thomsen, Associate Professor at Roskilde University (RUC)
• Kim Daasbjerg, Professor at Aarhus University

The Summer School offers a unique opportunity to deepen your knowledge across the full carbon capture, utaliszation and storage (CCUS) value chain – from CO2 capture and transport to geological storage, CO2 utilisation, economics, regulation, greenhouse-gas accounting, public communication, and health and safety.

Participants can expect a week of expert lectures, interactive sessions, group work and presentations, panel discussions, a field trip to a Danish CCS project, as well as career talks and networking with international peers.

The programme welcomes applications from master’s and PhD students in engineering, geo-technologies or socio-economics, as well as early-career professionals seeking to strengthen their CCS competencies.

Participation is free. Accommodation and meals are provided; participants are responsible for covering travel and any visa costs..

Application deadline: 12 January 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

Read more and apply directly at IEAGHGs CCS Summer School webpage

When Stanford master’s student Carson Muscat arrived in Denmark for a summer internship with INNO-CCUS and the Danish Energy Agency, he brought with him several years of experience in the energy industry, having worked on large-scale energy projects before starting his graduate studies. He wanted to understand how a small country had managed to build an entire carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) sector almost from scratch. Three months later, after interviews across research institutions, ministries, and industry partners, he left with a clear impression: Denmark’s strength lies in its collaboration – and in the quiet determination to move forward together.

That collaboration has brought Denmark – where CO₂ storage was actually prohibited until 2020 – from a ban on CO₂ storage to a leading role in European CCUS development in less than five years. But Muscat’s analysis also points to where the next steps are needed if the country is to maintain its pace.

Keeping society in the loop

The next chapter of Denmark’s CCUS journey is moving from distant offshore platforms to familiar landscapes – bringing carbon storage closer to everyday life and into the view of local communities.

The next phase of Denmark’s CCUS story will play out closer to home. With onshore storage exploration licences granted, we are coming closer to establishing CO2 storage closer to our homes. Muscat notes that public trust and engagement will be just as critical as technical progress.

He highlights the Society and Systems Analysis workstream within INNO-CCUS as a key opportunity to better understand how people perceive CCUS, how dialogue can be strengthened, and how benefits can be shared locally. “The technical progress is impressive,” he says, “but the success of the coming decade will depend on how well society is brought along.”

New partnerships for a new phase

Muscat sees this as essential for bridging the gap from lower TRL levels to commercial deployment.

As projects move from demonstration to full-scale deployment, Denmark’s collaborative model must widen its circle. Muscat observes that while cooperation among research, policy, and industry is well established, financial partners are still missing from many of the conversations. Involving investors, infrastructure funds, and green financiers earlier, he suggests, could help bridge the gap between research breakthroughs and market-ready solutions.

Balancing a growing ecosystem

With more than 30 projects already supported and many more emerging, INNO-CCUS is entering a new phase of growth. Muscat recommends a more systematic approach to tracking and evaluating projects – not just by their technical focus but by their impact and connection to each other. By monitoring the ecosystem as a whole, Denmark can ensure that lessons learned are shared and that new initiatives reinforce, rather than duplicate, existing work.

A culture worth keeping

In his reflections, Muscat contrasts Denmark’s integrated CCUS model with the more fragmented approaches he has observed in other countries, such as the United States, where coordination often depends on market forces rather than mission-driven collaboration.

Muscat’s reflections capture something that has long been recognised within Denmark’s green transition: collaboration here is not just coordination – it is culture. From ministries to research labs and industrial sites, he found a shared sense of purpose that accelerates progress.

“Denmark’s success lies in how people across sectors share goals and learn together,” Muscat says. “The challenge now is to keep that collaboration dynamic as CCUS moves from planning to large-scale execution.”

About the study
The report “Navigating Denmark’s CCUS Ecosystem” was conducted by Carson Muscat, MBA/MS candidate at Stanford University, during his internship with INNO-CCUS and the Danish Energy Agency in summer 2025. The project was supported by the Stanford Social Management Immersion Fund.

>Download a copy of the report

This is where INNO4EST comes in. As one of the research projects in the INNO-CCUS portfolio, the initiative brings together foresters, ecologists, researchers,  and data scientists to create new ways of seeing and understanding forest ecosystems. By combining satellite images, drone data and machine-learning models with field data, field studies and ecological expertise, they are developing tools that can map not just where trees grow, but how forests sustain themselves, interact with surroundings, and deliver benefits.

From pixels to patterns

A forest can look healthy to the human eye while still losing its ecological balance. Remote sensing technologies now allow researchers to detect these shifts more efficiently and across large areas that would otherwise require extensive fieldwork to observe – shifts in canopy height, biomass density or species composition that reveal how a forest is changing over time.

Through machine learning, thousands of satellite and drone images are transformed into detailed maps that show how forests breathe, grow and store carbon. Historical aerial photos from as far back as the 1950s can even be compared with today’s high-resolution data, providing a time machine for understanding decades of land-use change.

These methods are not ends in themselves. They help foresters and land managers find new ways to plan, evaluate and prioritize where afforestation and nature protection will deliver the greatest environmental and social value.

At the heart of INNO4EST is collaboration. Bringing together disciplines that rarely share the same toolbox is both the challenge and the strength of the project.

Ecologists bring knowledge of species and habitats. Geographers contribute spatial understanding of landscapes. Data scientists develop algorithms that turn complex datasets into usable insights. And foresters connect it all to practice – to the trees, the soil and the people who manage them.

By working together, they are defining a new common language for ecosystem services assessment. It is a shift from isolated research projects to integrated systems that link data with real-world management and policy decisions.

As a research partnership, INNO4EST includes many smaller projects testing their own methods and solutions – each contributing a piece of knowledge to find the best way forward together. The process thrives on curiosity and dialogue, where open questions and fresh ideas from peers and practitioners help push innovation further.

New standards for sustainable forest management

The results are already visible. Mapping deadwood, biomass and structural diversity creates new indicators for biodiversity and carbon storage. Recreation potential can now be quantified, helping planners design forest areas that serve both nature and people – supporting Denmark’s path towards its 2050 climate goals.

These data-driven insights are essential for balancing multiple goals: climate mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity protection, and human well-being. They also make forest data transparent and comparable, a foundation for future policy and investment decisions in Denmark’s nature-based solutions.

INNO4EST’s interdisciplinary model could become a blueprint for how we approach natural climate solutions more broadly. It reminds us that technology alone cannot solve environmental problems – but when guided by ecological understanding, ground truth data,  and used collaboratively, it can help us make better choices for the landscapes we depend on.

In April 2025, the Danish government published – for the first time – a climate projection and status update outlining the full pathway to the 2030 target of 70% CO₂ reduction. That was welcome news. But now, it’s time to look further ahead: to 2050.

Denmark’s ambition is not only to become CO₂-neutral, but climate positive by 2050. That means removing more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than we emit. Achieving that vision requires both deep emissions reductions and the deployment of technologies that can actively extract CO₂ from the air.

One of the most promising technologies in this space is Direct Air Capture (DAC). This method makes it possible to remove CO₂ directly from ambient air and store it permanently. DAC is particularly compelling because it can address two major climate challenges:

•  Historic emissions – the CO₂ already released over decades
•  Residual emissions – the emissions we cannot fully eliminate, such as from agriculture, wastewater, and cement production

According to the Danish Council on Climate Change, achieving a 110% reduction by 2050 through a high-innovation pathway will require removing up to 9.1 million tons of CO₂ annually using DAC.

Other approaches—like afforestation, biochar, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)—also have potential, but they rely heavily on land use and biomass. These are increasingly scarce and contested resources. DAC, by contrast, does not compete for land or biomass, making it uniquely relevant in a carbon-constrained future.

Figure 1 illustrates the Danish Climate Council’s assessment of how emissions could look in 2050 if the goal of a 110% reduction is to be achieved primarily through the development of new technologies. Afforestation, biochar, and BECCS all remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, but the majority of removals would need to come from Direct Air Capture (DAC), which alone would have to account for around 9 million tonnes of CO₂ removed in 2050 for the climate-positive target to be realized.

Translation of terms: Affald → Waste.  Landbrug → Agriculture.   Arealanvendelse → Land Use.
Biokul → Biochar.  Nettoudledning → Net Emissions.  Industri → Industry.  Skov → Forests

Source: Klimarådet ”Danmarks Klimamål i 2050 – Ny Teknologi 110%-mål”

Despite its significant reduction potential, DAC is still a relatively untested and technologically immature solution. If the technology is to play a meaningful role by 2050, it is essential that we begin testing, adapting, and integrating it into a Danish context now.

What does success in 2050 require?

Removing CO₂ from the air demands energy, space, and – in some cases – water. That’s why DAC must be planned in tandem with our wider renewable energy strategy. Encouragingly, DAC consumes significantly less electricity than other major technologies like Power-to-X, and even less than projected future demand from data centers.

DAC units themselves don’t require much space, but they do need access to renewable power. This means they must be located where solar or wind energy is available – highlighting the need for smart, energy system-level integration.

Cost remains a major hurdle. Today, capturing one ton of CO₂ via DAC can cost up to 4,000 DKK. This depends on the technology type, energy source, and site location. Systems that require high-temperature heat are typically more expensive, as heat is a costly resource.
In the longer term, costs can drop as technologies mature and scale. Modelling from Aalborg University suggests prices could fall to 2,400–2,600 DKK per ton, assuming large-scale deployment.

Although it is still expensive, DAC can offer some additional benefits. Some technologies are capable of producing water as a byproduct. Others can help support the electricity grid by adjusting their power consumption depending on whether there is an excess or shortage of electricity in the system. This contributes to grid balancing – especially important when electricity comes from variable sources like solar and wind. Moreover, the captured CO₂ can be used in new and innovative ways. For example, it can be used in the production of green fuels, plastics, building materials, and other products that are currently made using fossil-based inputs.

The key unknowns – and what to do about them
DAC is particularly relevant for hard-to-abate sectors and for cleaning up legacy emissions. But it’s still early days. We lack large-scale, real-world experience in Denmark.

There are three key uncertainties:

• Energy system integration
  We still don’t know how DAC will perform at scale under Danish conditions or how best to embed it into the national energy system.
• Energy demand
  DAC needs significant energy input. Its climate benefit depends on access to low-carbon electricity or surplus heat. Without this, the net climate gain may be lost.
• Cost
  High costs remain a barrier. But as technologies develop and expand, prices are expected to fall. DAC facilities may also deliver co-benefits—such as water recovery, grid services, or carbon-based products—that increase their value.

These uncertainties are not barriers. They are design challenges. But addressing them requires stable frameworks, cross-sectoral collaboration, and a long-term plan for scaling up.

Although DAC is intended to address the emissions we cannot eliminate through electrification and efficiency alone, it is crucial that we begin further developing and testing the technology now—so it will be ready by 2050.
If we succeed, we can also achieve a negative emissions target—avoiding overreliance on biomass while ensuring that we genuinely remove more CO₂ than we emit.

Learn More
See Aalborg University’s 2024 explainer: “Direct Air Capture in Denmark – A Guide to Achieving Negative Emissions by 2050”

For questions or press inquiries, please contact:
Karina M. Søgaard
Director, INNO-CCUS

Mail: kamam@inno-ccus.dtu.dk
Phone: +45 93 51 03 01

About INNO-CCUS
INNO-CCUS is a Danish, mission-driven partnership that has, since 2022, worked to promote technologies for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The partnership brings together more than 80 actors from industry, universities, and public institutions with the shared goal of accelerating the green transition and helping Denmark reach its climate targets.
INNO-CCUS is one of four strategic partnerships established to develop solutions to key climate challenges. With a total grant of DKK 350 million, funded by Innovation Fund Denmark and NextGenerationEU, INNO-CCUS focuses on maturing and scaling CCUS technologies that are essential to achieving both climate neutrality and climate-positive outcomes in Denmark.
The partnership supports research and innovation projects spanning the entire CCUS value chain, divided into five thematic tracks:

• Chemical CO₂ capture
• Biological CO₂ capture and storage
• Geological CO₂ storage
• CO₂ utilization
• Society and systems analysis

However, to make a substantial contribution to the fight against climate change, there is a pressing need to improve the efficiency, scalability and cost-effectiveness CCUS technologies. That makes research and innovation essential – and calls for a clearer understanding of how the field is evolving in Denmark.

To meet that need, INNO-CCUS has now published the second edition of State of CCUS. The publication presents an overview of active research and innovation projects across the country, providing a snapshot of where progress is happening and where opportunities are emerging.

“To accelerate the green transition, we need a clear picture of where we stand – and where the momentum is building. This publication offers a comprehensive overview of Danish CCUS efforts, helping you navigate the field, discover new opportunities, and connect with the people and projects shaping the future of climate solutions”, says Karina Marie Søgaard, Partnership Director of INNO-CCUS.

Further, the publication is an important part of INNO-CCUS’s mission-driven work in advancing CCUS to contribute to Denmark’s climate goals. The mapping of research and innovation in Denmark helps create a shared overview of the field and provides a stronger foundation for strategic decision-making across the CCUS ecosystem.

“By showing where research is concentrated, which technologies are emerging, and who is driving the work forward, the publication helps identify knowledge gaps and guide future efforts and investments that will shape the next generation of CCUS solutions,” says Søgaard.

Find the second edition of State of CCUS and the accompanying digital platform here.

In this webinar, three researchers present key insights on the future role of CCUS in Denmark’s energy system:

Agenda:
Storylines for CCUS in 2045/2050 – Iva Ridjan Skov
Mapping of CO₂ point sources – Steffen Nielsen
Energy modelling of CCUS – Meng Yuan

In a recent Tech Talk hosted by Energy Cluster Denmark, Professor Henrik I. Petersen (GEUS) presented some of the latest findings—showing that, under the right conditions, biochar can remain stable for millions of years, far longer than many existing models assume. Watch the recording below.

As part of the project, Aalborg Portland, in collaboration with its partners, will develop, construct, and operate a CO2 capture plant, expected to achieve an annual CO2e reduction of 1.5 million tons from 2030. This means that the ACCSION project and the new plant will deliver the largest single CO2 reduction in Denmark’s history, making a significant contribution to the country’s national climate targets.

Mission-Driven Projects Have Provided Valuable Experience
Aalborg Portland is a partner in INNO-CCUS, one of the Danish Innovation Fund’s four mission-driven partnerships aimed at accelerating the green transition.

INNO-CCUS brings together key stakeholders in the CCUS sector to develop technologies for capturing, storing, and utilising carbon resources. Two projects under this partnership have contributed to securing the significant new EU investment for Aalborg Portland. Since 2021, the Innovation Fund has invested approximately DKK 354 million in the INNO-CCUS partnership, including funding for roadmap development and research and innovation projects.

“Since 2020, Aalborg Portland has been actively developing its CO2 capture and storage project. A significant contribution has come from the two INNO-CCUS projects, CORT and CASPER, where pilot plants for CO2 capture from Aalborg Portland’s cement production have been set up. These projects have provided valuable experience in operating CO2 capture facilities. At the same time, they have demonstrated to the EU Aalborg Portland’s expertise in CO2 capture,” says Jesper Sand Damtoft, Director of Sustainability at Cementir Holding N.V., Aalborg Portland’s parent company, and Chairman of the Board of INNO-CCUS.

“Other projects based on INNO-CCUS’s roadmap also support full-scale CO2 capture at Aalborg Portland. This particularly applies to projects that explore storage possibilities for CO2 in Denmark’s underground,” adds Jesper Sand Damtoft.Success for Green

Technology Development
Denmark’s four green mission partnerships are guided by individual roadmaps, ensuring that all stakeholders and research and innovation efforts within each mission work towards the same goals.

INNO-CCUS’s roadmap provides a detailed overview of developments, opportunities, and strategic directions Denmark should follow to realize the potential of CCUS technologies. The roadmap maps out the latest breakthroughs in CCUS technologies and outlines clear strategies for scaling them up so that Denmark can achieve its climate ambitions by 2050.

“It is a remarkable success that Aalborg Portland has secured EU funding for large-scale CO2 capture. The fact that the INNO-CCUS partnership and the Innovation Fund have contributed to this success is a strong testament to the value created when we align efforts and work mission-oriented,” says Søren Asp Mikkelsen, Deputy Director of the Innovation Fund.

About the ACCSION Project
The upcoming CO2 capture plant will capture 1.4 million tons of CO2 annually while utilizing excess heat from the capture process to supply district heating in Aalborg—equivalent to heating approximately 19,100 households per year. This will result in an additional 100,000 tons of CO2 reductions annually.

With the ACCSION project, Aalborg Portland will establish one of the first fully integrated onshore CCS value chains in Europe. Additionally, the project will be among the first to capture CO2 from two separate production units (from both the grey and white cement production lines) in a single process. The captured CO2 will be transported via pipeline to a new onshore storage facility, creating a cost-effective and scalable solution for the cement industry.

Aalborg Portland has allocated 50,000 square meters for the CO2 capture plant, which will be one of the largest CCS facilities in Europe.