Chemical Process Engineering

At the Section for Chemical Process Engineering, we develop thermochemical, catalytic, and Power-to-X processes that support Denmark's green transition and strengthen Europe's resilience through self-sufficiency in energy, carbon, nutrients, and materials. Our work combines the core disciplines of chemical engineering spanning thermodynamics, reaction engineering, separation processes, and process modelling. We apply these competencies at pilot scale to develop Power-to-X technologies, pyrolysis, hydrothermal processing, and CO₂ capture. 

These technologies form the backbone of a resilient, circular industrial base. Our projects deliver advanced biofuels including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), chemical recycling of plastics and textiles, methane pyrolysis, methanol, ammonia and syngas production, nutrient circularity, carbon-based materials and biochar, and e-fuels, alongside the system and process modelling that makes them industrially viable. 

Rooted in close partnership with Danish and international industry and embedded in a network of Horizon Europe consortia, we move chemical engineering research from laboratory concept to commercial reality, while training the next generation of chemical engineers through hands-on projects on our pilot scale infrastructure. 

Keywords: hydrothermal liquefaction · Power-to-X · pyrolysis · CO₂ capture · chemical recycling · advanced biofuels · sustainable aviation fuels · process and systems modelling · biochar · green transition

We are the first address in Denmark where industry, academia or public partners face complex, interdisciplinary chemical engineering challenges. Our combined expertise in fundamental process engineering, system and process modelling, and hands-on pilot operation means, we can take a concept from lab scale to pilot scale, quantify its performance through techno-economic and life-cycle assessment (TEA/LCA), and optimise it for deployment. 

Our three main strengths are: 

1. World-leading, high-TRL research infrastructure. Our flagship Power-to-X pilot, Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) and pyrolysis facilities at Campus Viborg are unique worldwide in their combination of scale, versatility and operational maturity. This allows us to bridge the "valley of death" between laboratory research and industrial implementation, de-risking emerging technologies for industry and accelerating their route to market. For partners, this means credible performance data at industrially relevant conditions; for society, it means faster deployment of the processes needed for the green transition. 

2. Internationally renowned and extensively networked. The section is actively participating in numerous Horizon Europe projects and maintains active collaborations with a wide portfolio of national and international industrial partners. This network ensures our research tackles the problems that actually matter to industry and policy, and that our outputs flow back into the Danish and European innovation ecosystem. 

3. Hands-on, high-TRL education. Our teaching spans the core chemical engineering curriculum: unit operations, thermodynamics and separation processes, biorefining technologies, carbon capture and storage, and computer-aided process modelling which is directly coupled to our pilot facilities. BSc, MSc and PhD students carry out their projects on operating mid- to high-TRL equipment, graduating with practical experience that is rare in chemical engineering education and directly relevant to Danish industry within the green transition.

Together, these strengths let us deliver the knowledge, technologies, and trained engineers needed to make Danish industry and society circular, resilient, and climate-neutral.