Aarhus University Seal

Main conference

Subject to change, clarification of times and topics.

Wednesday 21 May

08:00 – 09:00

Setting up company stands and posters in the exhibition area


09:00 – 10:00

Registration, coffee, and networking


10.00 – 10.15

Opening speeches by organizers - Setting the scene

  • Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen, Professor and Head of Department, Aarhus University
  • Anne Marie Damgaard, Director, Danish Center for Energy Storage

10.15 – 11.35

Energy security, competitiveness and resilience – A window of opportunity

  • Torben Nørgaard, Chief Technology Officer, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
  • Alfred Arnborg, Analyst, Think Tank Europe
  • TBA
  • Lasse Rosendahl, Executive Director, Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center

Panel debate with the above speakers. Moderated by Anne Marie Damgaard, Director, Danish Center for Energy Storage.


11.35 – 12.00

Plenum keynote speaker

  • Knud Erik Andersen, CEO, European Energy

12.00 - 13.00

Networking lunch and exhibition


13.00 - 14.30

BREAKOUT SESSIONS (1-3) and special plenary session

  

Room: Comwell Hotel - hall A

Session 1: Thermomechanical and chemical storage (EIC Pathfinder Challenge projects)

Moderator: Emil Drazevic, Associate Professor, Aarhus University

Speakers

  • Elisabetta Gariboldi, Professor at Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy, "EIC Project MTES"

  • Fernando Ruiz, Coordinator and Administrator of the Grupo Riegosur, Spain, "EIC Project PUSC-CCC"

  • Christos Agrafiotis, Research Engineer- Project Manager, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany, "EIC Project Sulphurreal" 

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Energy storage solutions can be divided into electrochemical and thermomechanical and chemical storage. A good example of mechanical solutions is Pump Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) and Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES). PHES is limited to certain geographical locations, while CAES is still under development, and there is therefore need for technological advancement in mid to long-term electrical energy storage solutions. In this session EIC Pathfinder beneficiaries presents the bold projects within EIC Energy storage Portfolio, which address mid to long term electrical energy storage, using thermal, mechanical and chemical storage solutions

Questions to be adressed:

  • What is the state-of-the-art of mid to long-term energy storage solutions?
  • What are the innovations within EIC Energy Storage Portfolio and their scaling potential?
  • Round-trip efficiencies of different technologies.
Room: Comwell Hotel - hall B

Session 2: Biomass availability in the changing landscapes of Denmark

Moderator: TBA

Speakers

  • TBA

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Denmark is facing the most significant landscape changes in a hundred years, affecting agricultural production areas in particular. This happens while the society and climate require a major transition from fossil fuels and materials to biogenic biomass. The session explores how the biomass-producing sectors of society, agriculture and forestry, can adapt to the changing environment.

Questions to be adressed

  • TBA

Room: Comwell Hotel - hall C

Session 3: PtX integration in large-scale energy grids: European & Danish perspectives

Moderator: Alexander Kies, Associate Professor, Aarhus University, Honorary Associate Professor, UKZN

Speakers

  • Sebastian Svanström, Head of Industrial Decarbonization, Quantified Carbon, “Effect of flexible hydrogen production on electricity prices” 

  • Theresa Kluetz, Team Lead Sector Coupling, Forschungszentrum Jülich, “PtX in the European Energy Transition” 

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As Power-to-X (PtX) technologies scale up across Europe, their strategic integration into national and continental energy systems becomes a critical component of the energy transition. This session focuses on the role of flexible hydrogen production, storage, and reelectrification in enhancing grid stability, supporting sector coupling, and reducing system costs. Special attention will be given to spatial deployment strategies—from Europe-wide scenario planning to NUTS-3 cost-potential mapping—and to the interaction of PtX systems with electricity markets, particularly in Germany and Denmark. Presentations will examine how flexible hydrogen production influences electricity prices and grid resilience, offering practical insights into optimizing PtX deployment at scale. 

Questions to be adressed: 

  • Siting and Sizing: What strategies ensure optimal siting and sizing of hydrogen-based PtX systems to support both system flexibility and cost-efficiency? 

  • European Perspective: What roles will hydrogen production, storage, and reelectrification play in shaping the future European energy system? 

  • Electricity Market Interaction: How does flexible hydrogen production affect electricity price formation, particularly in high-renewable systems like Denmark's? 

  • Regulation and Market Design: How can regulation and market frameworks support flexible PtX integration without compromising grid stability or investment incentives? 


14.30 - 15.15

Afternoon networking break


15.15 - 16.45

BREAKOUT SESSIONS (4-6)

  

Room: Comwell Hotel - hall A

Session 4: Electrochemical storage (EIC Pathfinder Challenge projects)

Moderator: Anders Bentien, Professor, Aarhus University

Speakers

  • Stefan Spirk, Chief Executive Officer at Ecolyte GmbH, European Innovation Council, "EIC project VANILLA flow"
  • Mark Kwakernaak, Postdoctoral Researcher, TU Delft, European Innovation Council, "EIC project REZILLIENT"

  • Julian Seiler, German Aerospace Center (DLR), European Innovation Council, "EIC project HIPERZAB"

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This session will focus on the European Innovation Council portfolio of projects on Mid-term storage in particular the ones focusing on electrochemical storage. As the fraction of renewable electricity from wind and solar sources is increased this will lead to higher risks of brownouts (Dunkelflaute) during periods over days when there is no wind a solar electricity available. Current state-of-the-art technologies like Li-ion batteries are for cost reasons not suitable for mitigating this challenge. In the session projects from the EIC portfolio will be presented with focus on concepts battery storage concepts based on extremely low-cost earth abundant and non-critical raw materials.

Questions to be addressed: 

  • What is the current status on electrochemical storage technologies based on low-cost, and non-critical raw materials?
  • What are the challenges/requirements with respect to development of new technologies for stationary storage of electricity over days and weeks?
Room: Comwell Hotel - hall B

Session 5: CO2 to proteins and biomolecules (tbc)

Moderator: TBA

Speakers

  • TBA

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Questions to be adressed: 

  • TBA
Room: Comwell Hotel - hall C

Session 6: Green Lab Skive R&D Workshop

Moderators: Lucia Mortensen, Head of Research and Education, Green Lab Skive and Eoghan Rattigan, Industrial Sustainability Scientist Green Lab Skive 

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Setting the scene (30 min.)  

  • Short presentations to introduce the workshop and the topic with focus: 
  • Why is PtX important? 
  • Why should we consider it now? 
  • Are we doing enough? 
  • Whom should be more involved and how?

  

Group work and Plenum discussion (50 min.) 

  1. What is the relevant scale for a test facility to work at, in order to advance the PTX solutions? 
  2. What (physical & digital) utilities/infrastructure need to be available and for whom? 
  3. How should PtX test facilities be organised?  
  4. What actors should be involved and when? 
  5. What governance structure could better serve these? 
  6. How much open-source needs/can/should these be? 
  7. How much training and education activities should take place – parallel to other activities. 

  

Rounding up & closing remark (10 min.) 


17.00 – 18.30

Carbon Cocktails

Smedien

Power-to-X: A systematic prepping strategy in a resilient society? 

Join us for a networking event to kickstart the conversation of how Power-to-X technologies can help make us more resilient as a society. How do we keep the lights on with a challenging global, geopolitical scene?  

Program
17.00: Welcome by Lasse Rosendahl, Executive Director & Professor, CORC  
17.05: Panel discussion and Q&A 
17.50: Networking 

Panelists

  • Jeffrey Scott Saunders, Chief Technology Officer and Strategic Advisor, Danish National Defence Technology Centre (NFC) 
  • Julia Kirch Kirkegaard, Professor, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Human-Centered Innovation, DTU Management 
  • TBA
  • TBA

Moderated by Lene Johansen, Independent Journalist 


19.00 – 22.00

Conference dinner

Centralværkstedet


Thursday 22 May

08:30 – 09.00

Registration, coffee, and networking


09.00 – 09.05

Welcome from Organizers

  • Julie Søgaard, Communication Consultant, Danish Center for Energy Storage

09.05 – 10.20

Plenum keynote speakers and panel debate

  • Rolvur Reinert, Senior Asset Optimization Specialist, European Energy
  • Niels Vinther Voigt, Chief Engineer, Stiesdal
  • Peter Østergaard Vistisen, Topsoe
  • Martin PerssonSenior Department Manager, Novonesis

Panel debate with the above speakers and:

  • Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen, Professor and Head of Department, Aarhus University
  • Stig Munk-Nielsen, Professor, Aalborg University

Moderated by Julie Søgaard, Communication consultant, Danish Center for Energy Storage


10.20 – 10.35

Launch of DaCES working group on PtX and technologies: research and development

  • TBA

10.35 - 11.00

Coffee and networking


11.00 - 12.30

BREAKOUT SESSIONS (7-10)

  

Room: Centralværkstedet

Session 7: Power to X after the hype

Moderator: Michael Vedel Wegener Kofoed, Associate Professor, Aarhus University

Speakers

  • Mathias Tjell Brassøe, Head of Business Development, Norbis Park, Fjord PTX project
  • Søren Knudsen Kjær, Head of Technology, Power-to-X, European Energy Partners: "Scaling up green methanol production: Learnings and next steps"
  • Sune Ebbesen, Partnerships & Projects Lead, Power-to-X, Topsoe: "New perspectives for Co2 utilization – CO2 to Food"

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Few years back hailed as the swiss army knife of green transition, the hype about Power to X has cooled down significantly. Multiple challenges can be blamed for this, including regulatory and policy uncertainties, increasing cost, lack of infrastructure, technological immaturity etc. Further, competition for biogenic carbon lures in the horizon. Despite these challenges, the fundamental interest in PtX is still there, and many players are committed to overcoming the hurdles. In this session we will hear about a number of cases, where the efforts continue, with emphasis on how the many barriers are overcome, what the next applications are and perspectives for scaling.

Questions to be adressed: 

  • What future developments are needed to overcome technical, commercial or political barriers: Largest “known unknowns” to focus on?
  • How does the trajectory for scaling look like – where, when, how?
  • Where are the main technical challenges on upscaling?
  • Which supply chain barriers should we consider as most important?
Room: Comwell Hotel - hall A

Session 8: State of the art Alkaline Water Electrolyzer Design

Moderator: Pourya Forooghi, Associate Professor, Aarhus University

Speakers

  • Odd-Arne Lorentzen, CTO, PhD, HydrogenPro, "Status, technology challenges and trends for industrial alkaline water electrolysis"
  • Karel Bouzek, Professor, UCT Prague, "Alkaline membrane water electrolysis as an alternative to PEM process"

  • Marie Vedel Lauridsen, Co-Founder & CEO, ShipTown, "Reversible Alkaline Systems: Bubble-Free Electrolysis based on Fuel Cell DNA" 

  • Sarah Groot Shapel, Founder & CEO, Nordic Hydrogen, "Redesigning the Classic: Innovations in Alkaline Water Electrolysis"

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Alkaline Water Eletrolyzers (AWE) are expected to play a major role in realizing the demand for green hydrogen in the coming decades given their technological maturity compared to other technologies. There is however a considerable room to increase the energy efficiency of these devices. To this end, there has been a great deal of innovation regarding the design of electrode, cell and stack in recent years. The present session aims to give an overview of the state of the art on this topic including the present industrial practice as well as the innovative ideas and the expected developments in the years to come. The scope will cover both academic low-TRL (<3) and already commercial concepts.

Questions to be adressed: 

  • What is the state-of-the-art AWE design w.r.t. electrode, cell, stack?
  • What are the trending innovations and their scaling potential?
  • How much improvement in energy efficiency can be excepted?
Room: Comwell Hotel - hall B

Session 9: Water as a Strategic Enabler in PtX - Infrastructure, Circularity, and Resilience

Moderators: Uffe Sognstrup Thomsen, Executive Director, WATEC, Aarhus University and Paw Fallgaard Mortensen, Mission Officer, Energy Mission, Aalborg University

Speakers

  • Hasse Milter, Head of Innovation, Kalundborg Forsyning: "Water Symbiosis in Kalundborg as a Blueprint for PtX"
  • Sebastian Ravn-Andersen, Consultant, NIRAS: "Infrastructure and Risk Management for Circular Water Systems"
  • Jan Møller Hansen, Chief Advisor, Danish EPA (Danish EPA): "Policy and Regulation for Sustainable Water Use in PtX"
  • Danielle Lobo Pinheiro Nielsen, Organic chemistry and materials specialist, Biocirc: "Integrated Water and Energy Loops in Biogas and PtX Facilities"
  • TBA: "European policy/funding expert on water-climate-energy synergies"

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Water is a foundational input to PtX , not only for a sustainable green hydrogen production, but as a central piece of Europe’s infrastructure transition. In this session, we explore water's strategic role at system level: the integration of water into circularity models, industrial symbiosis, and large-scale infrastructure planning. We examine how PtX water needs intersect with the EU Green Deal and emerging Blue Deal, including resilience planning in the face of climate-related water stress.

Questions to be addressed: 

  • What risks and trade-offs emerge when integrating non-traditional water sources into energy systems, while also planning water infrastructure for PtX that supports regional water resilience and climate adaptation goals?
  • How can industrial symbiosis (e.g. Kalundborg) be extended to include PtX water flows?
  • What are the governance and business models needed to support circular water use across sectors?
  • How can European and national funding streams (Green/Blue Deal) be aligned to support water-smart PtX development?
  • What role can standardization and certification play in scaling up circular water use for PtX?
Room: Comwell Hotel - hall C

Session 10: Power Conversion Systems for PtX Plants: From converter to cell

Moderator: Björn Andresen, Professor and Head of Section, Aarhus University

Speakers

  • Pooya Davari, Associate Professor, AAU: “Power Electroncis for PtX:Challenges and Opportunities” 
  • Amin Hajizadeh, Associate Professor AAU & Kasper Jessen, PostDoc, AAU: “Control-Oriented Modeling and Robust Control for Power Electronics Enabling Cyclic Operation of Solid Oxide Electrolyzers” 
  • Arman Fathollahi, Postdoc, AU: “Power Quality Analysis and Improvement of Power-to-X Plants Using Digital Twins” 
  • Kaustubh Bhatnagar & Frank Martin, Grid Integration Analyst & Chief Grid Specialist at European Energy: “Challenges obtaining Grid Compliance for PtX facilities in Denmark” 

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Efficient power conversion is a critical component in the integration of renewable energy sources with Power-to-X (PtX) plants for green hydrogen production. This session will focus on the latest advancements in power electronics, converter topologies and control strategies that optimize energy transfer from variable renewable sources to electrolysis systems. It will cover the entire spectrum from large-scale to cell-level green hydrogen production. Topics include high efficiency power conversion topologies, electrolysis characteristics, system stability and real-time modeling techniques. Experts will discuss the latest technologies in power supply unit topologies and control, electrolysis impedance characteristics as well as challenges related to grid fluctuations, power quality and the seamless operation of PtX plants in future energy systems. Attendees will gain insights into innovative solutions that enhance system efficiency, reliability and scalability, driving the transition to a renewable hydrogen economy. 

Questions to be adressed: 

  • How can advanced converter topologies improve the efficiency, stability, and scalability of power supply for water electrolysis in PtX systems?
  • What are the critical challenges in integrating renewable energy with electrolysis systems, particularly regarding uncertainties and improving the overall lifespan of the system?
  • How can real-time modeling techniques and control strategies address grid fluctuations, power quality issues, and optimize the seamless operation of PtX plants in future energy systems?

12.30 - 13.30

Networking lunch and exhibition


13.30 - 15.00

BREAKOUT SESSIONS (11-14)

  

Room: Centralværkstedet

Session 11: Next step for capture technology

Moderator: Thomas Helmer, Professor, Aalborg University

Speakers

  • Anders Nørgaard Jensen, Group CTO, Estech: "Carbon capture process intensification"
  • TBA
  • Amalie Hessellund Nielsen, Ph.D. student, Aarhus Universitet, CORC / BCE: "Novel concept for combined biological CO2 capture and conversion"

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While we start to see the first capture and storage chains materialize, it is also clear that we are at the very beginning of a long journey. Meeting the targets set in national and international agreements will require an enormous and broad effort from many stakeholders. Technological development and innovation will be critical to improve the technical and economic feasibility of carbon capture and also enable targeting of new and very dilute sources of CO2 as eg. atmospheric air. In this session, we will hear from companies and researchers, who are approaching this magnificent challenge from different directions.

Questions to be adressed:  

  • TBA

Room: Comwell Hotel - hall A

Session 12: Molten Salts for Energy

Moderator: Anja-Verena Mudring, Professor, Aarhus University

Speakers

  • Jens Pelle, VP of Technical Sales, CSP Power Plant Technologies, Aalborg CSP: “Title TBA”
  • James Amphlett, Co-founder and director, Nordic Salt Cycle: “Title TBA”
  • TBA
  • TBA

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Molten salts offer features for modern energy technology that are not attainable from other materials. Because of their unique thermal and chemical properties, they find applications in heat transfer and storage, in molten salt nuclear reactors and for metallurgical processing including the recovery of critical materials. In this session we will discuss the potential of molten salts in PtX applications and address the following critical questions. 

Questions to be adressed: 

1. Chemical Stability & Corrosion 

  • What are the long-term corrosion mechanisms at high temperatures?

  • Can we develop corrosion-resistant materials for pipes, pumps, and reactor walls? 

2. Thermophysical Properties 

  • What are the precise physico-chemical properties of different salt mixtures and how can be optimize them? 

  • How do these properties change over time or under radiation exposure? 

3. Salt Chemistry & Purity 

  • How does impurity buildup affect salt performance over time? 

  • How can we monitor salt composition in real time during operation? 

4. Fuel Cycle (for Molten Salt Reactors) 

  • How can we handle online fuel reprocessing and fission product removal? 

  • What are the best strategies for managing radioactive waste from salt reactors? 

5. System Design & Engineering 

  • What kind of maintenance and safety protocols are needed for large-scale deployment? 

  • Can we scale-up lab prototypes to commercial-scale systems? 

6. Safety and Environmental Concerns 

  • How do molten salts behave during accident scenarios (e.g., overheating, loss of coolant)? 

  • What’s the long-term environmental impact of different salt chemistries? 

7. Modeling and Simulation 

  • Can we accurately model the thermodynamics and fluid dynamics of molten salts? 

  • What tools are best suited for simulating multi-physics behavior in salt-based systems? 

Room: Comwell Hotel - hall B

Session 13: Advanced Water Treatment Solutions for PtX

Moderators: Uffe Sognstrup Thomsen, Executive Director, WATEC, Aarhus University and Paw Fallgaard Mortensen, Mission Officer, Energy Mission, Aalborg University

Speakers

  • Aamer Ali, Associate Professor, Aalborg University: "Water-Energy Integration in PtX Systems using Membrane Distillation"
  • Leendert Vergeynst, Associate Professor, Aarhus University: "Integrating hydrothermal liquefaction into innovative bioenergy platforms"
  • Henrik Tækker Madsen, Senior Specialist, Grundfos Water Treatment: "Industrial Perspectives on Water Purification for Hydrogen"
  • Cejna Anna Quist-Jensen, Associate Professor, Aalborg University: "Advancing Membrane Technologies for Contaminant Removal in PtX Water Systems"
  • TBA: "Digital control systems or AI-supported water quality monitoring for PtX"

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This session dives into the technical frontier of water treatment and purification for PtX. Researchers and industry experts will present cutting-edge solutions for producing ultra-pure water from low-grade sources such as wastewater and surface water. From membrane technologies and PFAS removal to hydrothermal liquefaction and industrial treat-ment systems, we explore what it takes to meet stringent water quality demands for electrolyzers — and how to do so sustainably. The session offers hands-on insight into technological trade-offs, inte-gration challenges, and scaling opportunities. A must for engineers, scientists, and developers seek-ing practical answers in PtX water purification.

Questions to be adressed

  • What industrial-scale solutions are needed to treat and recycle water for hydrogen production?
  • What are the challenges in reusing wastewater effluents in a closed-loop setup, and how can they be solved?
  • What open research challenges remain for next-generation water technologies tailored to PtX?
  • How can membrane technologies be adapted to efficiently remove PFAS, heavy metals, and salts in PtX applications?
  • How can membrane distillation be integrated directly with electrolyzers to enable decentralized ultra-pure water production?
  • What are the energy and emissions trade-offs in advanced purification technologies for PtX?
  • How can water treatment systems be digitally monitored and controlled to ensure purity and performance?
Room: Comwell Hotel - hall C

Session 14: Flexibility of electrolyzer systems and e-fuel plants

Moderator: Björn Andresen, Professor and Head of Section, Aarhus University

Speakers

  • Henrik Lund Frandsen, Professor, Technical University of Denmark: “Title TBA”
  • Søren Højgaard Jensen, CTO and Founder, DynElectro : “Dynamic operation of solid oxide electrolyzer” 
  • Xiaoti Cui, Associate Professor, Aalborg University: “Title TBA”
  • Nikolaj Zangenberg, Director- Big Science, Danish Technological Institute: “Understanding processes and bottlenecks in PtX components under different operating conditions with operando neutron measurements” 

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As more PtX plants are integrated into the energy sector, their flexibility will be crucial for maintaining grid balance. This session will explore the flexibility of different electrolyzer systems (e.g., alkaline, PEM, solid oxide, and AEM) and e-fuel plants, focusing on key performance indicators (KPIs) for system flexibility, dynamic performance, and operational adaptability. Discussions will cover the behavior of electrolyzer systems and key plant components (e.g., reactors, compressors, and gas storage) under varying conditions, as well as control strategies to optimize performance. Contributions may include insights from modeling tools, experimental research, and industrial data and experiences. 

Questions to be adressed

  • What are the flexibility KPIs?
  • What is the operation flexibility of electrolyzer systems?
  • What is the operation flexibility of e-fuel production processes?
  • What are the key factors for improving flexibility of PtX systems?

15.00 – 15.15

Closing speech and end of main conference

  • TBA

15.15

Coffee and networking