Denmark Trade Council: There is significant demand for Danish green solutions in the North American water sector. One of the latest selections from the Danish “solutions menu” is two gas engines from the Danish company Nissen Energy. This combined heat and power system, also known as cogeneration, simultaneously produces electricity and useful thermal energy for heating or cooling from a single fuel source to achieve improved energy efficiency. The order was placed by the U.S. water utility, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD).

The two gas engines will enable MWRD’s water supply system to generate energy, aiming for energy neutrality in the long term. This marks a major sustainable milestone for the agency, which is one of the world’s largest wastewater treatment utilities, processing water for over 5.19 million residents in metropolitan Chicago every day.

“We are incredibly pleased with our collaboration with the MWRD. It is a milestone for our company and a strong endorsement of our work and expertise,” says Michael Nissen, CEO of Nissen Energy.

Nothing left to chance

It was no coincidence that the Danish “solutions menu” caught the attention of the American MWRD. The Water Technology Alliance (WTA), operating under The Trade Council, works to strengthen Danish-American collaboration in the water sector, with a special focus on sustainability and innovation.

Nissen Energy has been a member of WTA since 2014, and back in 2015, WTA connected the MWRD with Nissen Energy, identifying a strong match between the two partners, explains, WTA Senior Technical Advisor Ulrik Folkmann.

“The MWRD’s ambition to recover and optimize energy perfectly aligns with the expertise and technology that Nissen Energy specializes in. This is undoubtedly a partnership driven by highly ambitious visions on both sides,” says Ulrik Folkmann.

Starting in 2025, Nissen Energy will deliver a complete package to the MWRD, including two 560 kW gas engines along. Baxter & Woodman / Boller Construction LLC will lead the design, construction and coordinate maintenance of the full system set to be installed at the MWRD’s Egan Water Reclamation Plant in Schaumburg, Illinois. The goal is to utilize the utility’s gas for heat and power, with an initial five-year maintenance agreement in place.

Eye-opening Danish solutions

With support from WTA, the connection between the two companies has this year resulted in a deal of such significance that Nissen Energy can count the sale to MWRD as one of its largest ever.

In addition to WTA, the American engineering firm Baxter & Woodman has served as consultants on the project. According to Jason Ruffatti, assistant wastewater department manager at Baxter & Woodman, this won’t be the last time the firm looks to Danish companies for support on U.S. water industry projects.

“It is almost guaranteed that the WTA will be involved in our future projects and collaborations. Working with Danish technology has been eye-opening,” says Jason Ruffatti, highlighting WTA’s network and insights into both the American and Danish water industries as invaluable resources during the process.

Green solutions across the Atlantic

Nissen Energy hopes to make a sustainable impact on the U.S. water sector by bringing its green solutions across the Atlantic, says CEO Michael Nissen.

“The agreement with MWRD signals a new, green direction for the U.S. water sector. We hope our collaboration creates a ripple effect, encouraging other water utilities to adopt similar sustainable initiatives,” Nissen says.

And it’s likely not just the MWRD that will embrace these green solutions. Aging infrastructure, climate change, and population growth are major challenges for the North American water market, creating a demand for innovative and sustainable solutions - an area in which Danish water companies excel.

“The need for green solutions creates unique opportunities for Danish companies in the North American water market. WTA works daily to foster ambitious and sustainable partnerships across the Atlantic. Our primary task is to create connections that provide value for both sides - just like Nissen and MWRD,” says Ulrik Folkmann.

Nissen Energy’s next step is to establish a permanent service station in the U.S. This will support the maintenance agreement with the MWRD as well as the company’s collaborations with other American utilities. Currently, Nissen Energy has secured multiple orders from various U.S. water utilities.

“In my view, Danish products and companies offer extremely high quality, which positions us strongly in the U.S. market. WTA is proof of that; we started ten years ago with five Danish water companies, and today, I’ve lost count of how many we are,” says Michael Nissen.

This latest learning exchange continues a nearly decade-old relationship in sustainability and innovation. In October 2023, a second Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the MWRD and the WTA, represented by the Consulate General of Denmark in Chicago, and Aarhus Vand of Denmark. The MWRD has sent several engineers and scientists to Aarhus, Denmark to study Danish water systems, while Danish officials have established a presence in Chicago. 

In late 2023, MWRD President Kari K. Steele traveled to Denmark for a conference financed by the European Union and hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Denmark’s State of Green. The international visit served as a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices focusing on issues such as climate change and impacts on wastewater treatment, stormwater management and environmental stewardship. Then in February, President Steele, MWRD commissioners and staff hosted a meeting at the MWRD’s Stickney Water Reclamation Plant with Ambassador of Denmark Jesper Møller Sørensen, Denmark Consul General and Head of the Danish Water Technology Alliance Jesper Køks Andersen, to facilitate a dynamic learning exchange aimed at fostering innovation and collaboration in wastewater management and energy efficiency.

“Thank you to The Trade Council, the Water Technology Alliance (WTA), Nissen Energy and our partners at Baxter & Woodman for their assistance in developing, designing, identifying, installing and implementing this latest energy efficient technology that will work to protect our water environment and reduce energy demands at our water reclamation plants,” said President Steele. “In our work at the MWRD, we are protecting our local water and the flow that reaches as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Protecting international waters will require this type of collaboration from around the globe, because water has no boundaries, and we all share in the responsibility to protect this precious resource.”