GRONTMIJ : Press release - Grontmij to consult on conversion of one of Denmark's largest power stations to fully sustainable energy supplier

De Bilt, 18 September 2014 - Grontmij, a listed consulting & engineering company with a strong European presence, has been appointed by DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, to act as consultant for the conversion of the Skærbæk Power Station. From 2018, energy supplied by this power station for the heating systems of 55,000 households will be generated by wood chips rather than natural gas, which will provide customers with a more sustainable and cheaper heat supply. A team of fifty Grontmij experts from Denmark and Sweden will be providing consultancy services to DONG Energy until 2017.

Lowering energy prices and reducing CO2 emissions
Besides the financial benefits of cheaper heat production sources, the DONG Energy's Skærbæk Power Station conversion from natural gas to wood chips generation will have considerable climatological benefits. The wood chips come from trees that, in the course of their lifetime, take up as much CO2 as they release during decomposition or burning in power stations. It is estimated that the power station's switch to biomass fuel will mean an annual reduction in CO2 emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes.

Combining knowledge from Denmark and Sweden
In this project Grontmij combines complementary expertise out of Denmark and Sweden. The Danish consultants will mainly focus on the essential infrastructure: the establishment of a chip warehouse, new cranes and the expansion of the harbor facilities while Swedish colleagues will be responsible for the technical aspects and contribute to the placement of new steam boilers that will be powered by wood chips.

'This is an important development for the local area and Grontmij is pleased to be contributing to the DONG Energy strategy of switching from fossil fuels to biomass fuel at central Danish power stations', says Søren Larsen, Country Managing Director of Grontmij Denmark.

'We chose Grontmij because they made the most attractive offer in our bidding round, all in all. Grontmij has the possibility of drawing on a wide range of the right competences, and thus, they can help ensure that our plant is optimised and that the project is completed in an efficient way', says Thomas Dalsgaard, executive vice president at DONG Energy.

Leading experts in energy
Energy is one of Grontmij's five key focus areas, besides Water, Sustainable Buildings, Highways & Roads and Light Rail. Grontmij is well positioned within the European energy sector and will continue to grow her position in bio-and waste energy and other plants, thermal energy conversion, grid infrastructure and district heating. Through the Group's accumulated expertise, Grontmij is increasingly bringing together teams from around Europe with tailored expertise for specific projects.


Read the press release on our website:
http://www.grontmij.com/MediaCenter/Pages/Press-release-Grontmij-to-consult-on-conversion-of-one-of-Denmarks-largest-power-stations.aspx.

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For more information please contact:
Grontmij N.V., Julia Thate, Group Communications Manager a.i., T +88 811 52 45

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Note to editors
Grontmij is a leading European company in the Consulting & Engineering industry with world-class expertise in the fields of energy, highways & roads, light rail, sustainable buildings and water. Our leading principle is Sustainability by Design. This enables our professionals to support clients in developing the built and natural environment. Established in 1915, Grontmij is listed on the NYSE Euronext stock exchange.