Opening Kyoto Denmark – An almost perfect market

The eternal wind blowing over Denmark continues to be captured during the day, but not stored overnight. – That will hopefully change now, says Peter Iversen, the new general manager at Kyoto Technology Denmark.

Denmark is a windy country. Has always been. And every day new people and industries understand the important value of this Nordic air. In fact, a whopping 46 per cent of Denmark's energy production on the national grid comes from the wind. That's close to “best in the world”.

– Both politicians and people are on board, as Denmark quickly wants to become the greenest country in the world. For instance, before 2030 we want to outpace all coal production, says full-time Chief of Manufacturing, Peter Iversen (53) – the newest addition to the Kyoto Family.

– Kyoto, and I, want to make green energy available for everyone.

Could get paid to receive overproduction of wind

Peter Iversen has 25 years of diverse and international management and supply chain experience from oil, gas, construction, pharmaceuticals – and renewable energy – and is a Danish industry leader who will be running Kyoto Technology ApS Denmark in order to be closer to partners and customers in a nearly perfect market for an industrial battery. One that can actually store all that Danish wind. Because, as Iversen says, you either “use it, or lose it”.

– We have a lot of green overproduction in Denmark, he says.

Because here is the thing: Even though windmills are circling like maniacs, in sunlight or moonshine, everyone in Denmark is naturally awake at the same time – during the day. Using their hair dryers or industrial machines simultaneously, which makes both demand and prices go up.

Adding soaring fossil fuel prices to that, and you got yourself lots of worried industry owners.

Nowhere to put the energy at night

– At night, the wind is still blowing of course. And the prices are low. But there is almost nowhere to put the energy. You have to get rid of it, either by giving it away, or paying people to take it, he says.

– And your battery could change that?

– Exactly, a Heatcube can receive energy during the night and customers can benefit by off-loading it as heat during the daytime. When your thermal battery can be charged from wind during the night, to produce heat during the day, one could replace gas, decarbonize the industry and – there are even hours when one can get paid to receive the overproduction of electricity produced!

– Is Denmark a perfect market for Kyoto?

– As Denmark is a front-runner in the energy transition with a strong focus on becoming CO2 neutral, it is perfect. And for sure one of our core markets.

Kyoto's first client will prove concept is working

This fall Kyoto's very first Heatcube will be up and running. And the company is confident in their technology. Because storing energy – from the sun – in molten salt, has already been proven for decades in the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) industry.

– Now, we are very excited to demonstrate that our battery also will work as a modular independent battery at Nordjyllandsværket, Iversen says.

He is talking about a coal-fired power plant near Aalborg that is already on a journey to outface its use of coal to go green.

– We will prove our battery, and that will definitely open avenues for the Heatcube, in Denmark and abroad, says Iversen who has lived and worked everywhere from Greenland to the Middle East for years, while developing a strong enthusiasm for diving.

– Recently I have seen, underwater, with my own eyes, a significant change. So much plastic, pollution and dead marine life. That is how I understood humankind needs to change, and I want to be a part of that.