Reducing the carbon footprint and green heating in Thyboron

As part of its environment strategy, the Port of Thyboron has a strong focus on optimising processes with high energy consumption in the port’s operations. The latest initiative is investment in a new eco-friendly refrigeration system for Danske Fiskeauktioner A/S in the consumption fishing centre, and utilisation of the surplus heat from the cooling process. The project contributes towards four of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: sustainable energy, responsible consumption and production, climate action and sustainable cities and communities.

The consumption fishing centre at Danske Fiskeauktioner A/S opened in 2013, almost 10 years ago. It has since doubled in size in 2017 with the establishment of a separate box washing facility, which freed up storage space for the fish auction.

The Port of Thyboron is responsible for cooling the large warehouses at the fish auction used for sorting and storing the fish – from unloading until sale and transport, in an unbroken cold chain. Cooling is an energy-intensive process, and optimising it can thus lead to major environmental benefits. The Port of Thyboron has therefore chosen to invest DKK 5.14 million in a new eco-friendly CO2 refrigeration system for the fish auction run by Danske Fiskeauktioner A/S in the consumption fishing centre at the port.

The new refrigeration system began operation in late 2021, and has already led to reduced electricity consumption for refrigeration, and hence a reduction in the Port of Thyboron’s total carbon footprint. After one year of full operation the carbon emissions for the new refrigeration plant will be calculated, so the Port of Thyboron can document its positive impact on the port’s carbon accounts.

The new refrigeration system is more energy efficient, and thus already reduces the carbon emissions for the Port of Thyboron and the fish auction. But the port has gone one step further, to also utilise the surplus heat from the plant to provide sustainable heating.

100% carbon-neutral heating at the fish auction
Recycling surplus heat is perfectly attuned with the Port of Thyboron’s goal, in relation to the green transition, of carbon-neutral heating in buildings. The port is therefore working to utilise the surplus heat from the new CO2 cooling system in the fish auction centre, to provide 100% carbon-neutral heating for both the centre and the box washing facility, which currently use district heating.

To ensure optimal utilisation of the surplus heat from the cooling system, the Port of Thyboron has invested a further DKK 515,000 to adapt the heating system used in the fish auction centre.

From waste to resource – circular economy
Surplus heat is a waste product from cooling processes – in reality, a form of ‘waste’. By recycling surplus heat to heat buildings, ‘waste’ becomes a new resource, supporting the circular economy. It is also fully in line with the Port of Thyboron’s environment strategy.

Annual carbon savings of 62.8 tonnes CO2e
By utilising the surplus heat and streamlining energy consumption for the refrigeration system, the port’s total carbon emissions are expected to be reduced by 26.72 tonnes CO2e.

Calculations show that about 600,000 kWh of heat can be extracted from the cooling system each year. This is more than the heating used annually to heat the office environment at Danske Fiskeauktioner A/S and the box washing facility at the Port of Thyboron. The port has therefore made an agreement with Thyborøn Fjernvarme that the surplus heat which the port cannot utilise can be added into the district heating network.

In addition to reducing the total carbon emissions of the Port of Thyboron and the fish auction by 26.72 tonnes CO2e annually, and providing 100% carbon-neutral heating for Danske Fiskeauktioner A/S and the box washing facility in Thyboron, utilisation of the surplus heat is expected to reduce Thyborøn Fjernvarme’s consumption of wood chips by 2.3% and provide green carbon-neutral heating for citizens in Thyboron.

Operations Manager Erling Jensen from Thyborøn Fjernvarme expects the waste heat from the cooling system to be able to meet around 3% of the heat demand in Thyboron – supplying the consumption fishing centre and the box washing facility, as well as 10 single-family houses. Thyborøn Fjernvarme expects to be able to reduce its consumption of wood chips by 12 truckloads each year using this initiative.

In total, the new plant has the capacity to reduce emissions by 62.8 tonnes CO2e annually.

With the current heating consumption at the Port of Thyboron, the investment has a payback period of around four years, and means a clear environment benefit for the port and for Thyboron.

“At the Port of Thyboron, we are very pleased to be able to contribute to an annual carbon saving in the fishery value chain by investing in the new refrigeration system for the fish auction, thereby supporting the sustainable goals of Danish fishery. It’s also a clear additional benefit that the investment can provide green carbon-neutral heating for 10 single-family houses in Thyboron,” says Jesper Holt Jensen, CEO, Port of Thyboron.