Media

Welcome to our media section. Here, you’ll find an overview of our latest press releases, interviews and articles.

Press releases

Danske Commodities and Solar Park Kassø sign agreement to optimise world’s largest commercial Power-to‑X facility

Energy trader Danske Commodities A/S (”Danske Commodities”) and Solar Park Kassø ApS (“SPK”) – a joint venture company owned by European Energy A/S (“European Energy”) and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (“Mitsui”) – announced today that they have signed an optimisation agreement for the Kassø Power-to‑X facility. Once operational, Kassø will become the world’s largest commercial Power-to‑X facility, supplying industry leaders like Maersk with e‑methanol for transport and more sustainable plastic production.

Danske Commodities expands renewables portfolio with new solar park in Poland

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed a balancing agreement with the 53 MW Lipno solar park, adding volume to its growing renewables portfolio in Poland.

Danske Commodities delivers strong financial results in a year with market stabilisation

Earlier today, energy trading company Danske Commodities released its financial results for 2023. Reporting earnings before tax of EUR 359 million, Danske Commodities delivered strong results in a year when the energy markets began to stabilise after the energy crisis.

Danske Commodities signs optimisation agreement for battery storage asset in the UK

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed a three-year optimisation agreement for the 35 MW battery storage asset, Welkin Mill. The agreement marks Danske Commodities’ biggest battery storage asset yet in the UK, where the energy trader will utilise its fully automated algorithmic setup to maximise returns across wholesale and ancillary services markets.

Danske Commodities reaches milestone of 100 combined heat and power plants

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it is now collaborating with over 100 combined heat and power plants, solidifying its position as the largest participant in the Danish decentralised market.

Danske Commodities signs agreement with Borås Energi och Miljö to optimise diverse portfolio of flexible assets

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed an agreement with Swedish energy company Borås Energi och Miljö to optimise the company’s portfolio of combined heat and power (CHP), hydro, electric boiler and battery storage.

Danske Commodities expands trading activities to Japan

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has successfully entered the Japanese power market with the first trades now completed. This marks the company’s second market entry in the APAC region, building on its existing trading activities in the Australian power market.

Danske Commodities signs balancing agreement with two wind farms in Sweden

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed balancing agreements for Ersträsk South and Ersträsk North in Sweden. The two wind farms have a combined capacity of 235 MW and mark the beginning for Danske Commodities’ Swedish renewables portfolio.

Danske Commodities appoints Kristian Majland as new Chief Information Officer

Danske Commodities appoints Kristian Majland as new Chief Information Officer Energy trading company Danske Commodities has today announced the appointment of Kristian Majland as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO) and VP, Head of Technology.

Danske Commodities signs first battery storage asset in the UK

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed a three-year optimisation agreement for the 25 MW battery storage asset, Blandford Road. The agreement marks Danske Commodities’ first battery storage customer in the UK, where the energy trader will utilise its fully automated algorithmic setup to maximise returns across wholesale and ancillary services markets.

Danske Commodities welcomes new Chief Data Officer

Energy trading company Danske Commodities has today announced the appointment of Umid Akhmedov as their new Chief Data Officer (CDO). In his role as CDO, Umid Akhmedov will build upon the data strategy introduced by Danske Commodities in 2019.

Danske Commodities delivers strong performance while bringing balance and liquidity to energy markets

Today, Danske Commodities released its financial results for 2022. Reporting adjusted earnings before tax (EBT) of EUR 2.2 billion, the energy trading company delivers a strong performance while bringing balance and liquidity to energy markets in a turbulent year.

Danske Commodities expands trading activities to Brazil

Equinor’s wholly-owned trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has successfully entered the Brazilian power market with the first trades now completed. Showing its commitment as a market participant in Brazil, Danske Commodities has also invested R$ 288 million in the equity of its newly established operations in the country.

Danske Commodities increases equity by 3.5 billion euro to provide liquidity in volatile energy market

The Danish energy trader Danske Commodities announced today that it has increased its equity with a capital injection of 3.5 billion euro from its owners, Equinor. High energy prices have increased the need for financial solidity and by maintaining a strong financial position, Danske Commodities is able to provide needed liquidity to a volatile energy market.

Danske Commodities enters Polish renewables market with first PV deal signed

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed a balancing agreement with the 57.5 MW Stepien PV farm, which will be one of the biggest photovoltaic (PV) farms in Poland. The agreement marks Danske Commodities’ entry into the Polish renewables market as the trading company gears up to support owner Equinor’s strategic ambitions in Poland.

Professio Energia and Danske Commodities sign PPA for Croatian wind parks to leave FIT scheme

Renewable energy developer and investment manager Professio Energia and energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that they have signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for two wind parks in Croatia. The parks are among the first in Croatia to voluntarily leave the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) subsidy scheme.

Danske Commodities signs PPA with one of the largest Energy-from-Waste facilities in the UK

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Cory Group (Cory) for Riverside 1, one of the largest Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facilities in the UK. The deal marks the first EfW PPA for Danske Commodities, which will apply its trading expertise to provide balancing, asset optimisation and route-to-market.

Danske Commodities delivers strong performance in defining year for energy markets

Earlier today, energy trading company Danske Commodities released its financial results for 2021. Reporting adjusted EBIT of EUR 272 million and EUR 345 million in adjusted gross profit, Danske Commodities navigated safely through unprecedented market volatility.

Danske Commodities gears up to take on more assets

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has brought in three senior profiles as part of its strategic ambition to take on more assets and expand its customer business. Jens Tang, Dirk Kaiser and Søren Rygaard are joining the company from Centrica, where they held managerial positions, and bring a combined 40 years of industry experience.

wpd and Danske Commodities sign Croatia’s first commercial PPA

Energy project developer and operator wpd and energy trader Danske Commodities announced today that they have signed a fixed-price PPA for the Orlice Wind Farm in Croatia. The deal is the very first post feed-in PPA to be consumed in Croatia between two non-state market participants and marks a new chapter in the energy transition of the Balkans.

Danske Commodities signs third 15-year PPA with world’s largest offshore wind farm

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for 480 MW with Dogger Bank wind farm. This is the third time that Danske Commodities has been selected as an offtaker for the ground-breaking offshore wind project.

Danske Commodities hires new Head of Cross-Commodity Trading

Energy trading company Danske Commodities announced today that it has hired Jens Svantesson as Head of Cross-Commodity Trading. Jens Svantesson comes from a previous position as Head of Oil, Gas & Coal Trading with Orsted and brings more than 20 years of experience from commodity trading.

Danske Commodities delivers stable earnings in unpredictable year

Earlier today, energy trading company Danske Commodities released its financial results for 2020. Reporting adjusted EBIT of EUR 44.3 million and an 18% increase in gross turnover, Danske Commodities overcame tough trading conditions in an unpredictable year for energy markets.

Media stories

Zooming in on sustainable high performance

In an interview with Danish business media Finans, our Head of People & Culture, Jonas Skovbjerg, shares Danske Commodities’ ambition to ensure that our high-performance culture is sustainable over time. Jonas also shares the latest sustainable high performance initiative, which is called ‘Fuel Fridays’ – a monthly day off with pay to learn something new and recharge.

The complex challenge of integrating renewables in the energy system

Our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen joined Danish business podcast ‘Sorte Tal’ to talk about the energy transition. Discussing the complex task of integrating renewables in the energy system, Helle said: “With the continued influx of renewables, we will see periods with bigger fluctuations when it comes to energy production and prices. And we’re already seeing it, but now it’s actually the opposite of what we saw in 2022, when supply was low, and prices were high. If we take Denmark as an example, we have registered more hours with negative power prices in 2024 than ever before.”

What does it take to run a successful company?

Danish national broadcaster Danmarks Radio features Danske Commodities and our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen in a new season of the CEO series, ‘Topdirektørerne’, which has previously featured companies like Ørsted, Carlsberg and Mærsk. The series follows the announcement of our annual results for 2023, a board meeting in Stavanger and the eventual signing of Kassø, the world’s biggest commercial power-to‑x facility.

Navigating constant change

Zooming in on the topic of leadership, our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen shares some perspectives on agility with Danish media Økonomisk Ugebrev. In the article, Helle talks about navigating change in an industry like the energy sector that is constantly evolving.

More talents are joining the energy industry

In an interview with Danish energy media outlet EnergiWatch, our Head of People & Culture Jonas Skovbjerg shares that the number of applications for open positions at Danske Commodities almost doubled from 2022 to 2023: “Before the energy crisis, we were probably a somewhat unknown industry that had grown large without many noticing it. That changed quite significantly in 2022, when we suddenly became an industry that was front-page news. On the positive side, it meant that many more people have realised that it is an exciting industry to be in and work in.”

The close link between district heating and the power market

In Denmark, the close link between power optimisation and heat generation makes it possible for combined heat and power plants (CHPs) to produce affordable heat in a volatile market. At the same time, CHPs support the build-out of renewables by producing power when supply is low and by converting power to heat when supply is high. This is explained by our Head of Flexible Asset Management Jesper Vestergaard in an interview with Fjernvarmen, a magazine covering the Danish district heating sector.

Climate changes mean an increased need for meteorology in energy trading

In an interview with Fortune Magazine, our Head of Meteorology Kim Bentzen shares what it’s like working as a meteorologist in the world of energy trading, including how weather trends shape energy markets. Kim explains that his team looks at both short-term and long-term forecasts, for instance how weather conditions can affect wind turbines’ generation capacity over the next few hours or days but also how larger phenomena like La Niña could impact crop yields or solar output.

Renewable energy must be affordable, but also reliable

Negative power prices are recorded across European energy markets like never before. In Denmark alone, negative hourly prices have been registered 214 times this year, with an influx of solar-generated power production being one of the main drivers. In an interview with Danish business Daily Børsen, our Head of European Power Trading Anders Kring explains why negative power prices are not sustainable long-term, neither for the consumers nor the energy system.

Danske Commodities employee recognised as top talent in Denmark

Sidsel Andersen Risager, head of HR Partnering & Development in Danske Commodities, is honoured as one of Denmark’s most promising business talents this year and has earned a spot on the prestigious Talent 100 list, published by Danish news media Berlingske. During her four years at Danske Commodities, Sidsel has played a crucial role in making gender diversity a priority, and thanks to her, the company’s job adverts are now written in a neutral language and all candidates are anonymised during the initial screening. Besides, Sidsel has paved the way for Danske Commodities to offer part-time work options and ensuring employees can take sick days to care for their children whenever they need.

Blind recruitment can boost gender diversity

Our Head of People & Culture Jonas Skovbjerg shares DC’s experience with blind recruitment: “A year ago, we introduced blind recruitment measures in our recruitment process, meaning we remove demographic information such as gender, age and ethnicity about a candidate in the initial screening. Instead, we focus on what really matters, like skill and experience. This has resulted in increase in the share of female new hires and the number of female candidates rated qualified,” says Jonas in an interview with Erhverv+.

Flexibility is vital for the energy transition

In an interview with energy media Montel, our Head of Intraday Power Trading Tim Kummerfeld shares some perspectives on the importance of flexibility when integrating renewables in the energy system. Tim argues that the expansion of renewable energy is occurring at a pace where intraday trading alone is insufficient to handle the increasing volatility – this is where flexible assets come into play. DC currently manages flexible assets in the Nordics and the UK and is looking at new market entries like Germany.

DC donates DKK 5 million to new shelter

Together with the City of Aarhus and Salling Fondene, DC will support the build of a new shelter for homeless and vulnerable people in our local community. Our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen says: “Aarhus is an important place for us. This is where DC was founded some 20 years ago and it’s where we have our headquarters. In 2025, we will be moving to a new headquarters in Sydhavnen, a newly developed area in Aarhus, where the new shelter will be one of our neighbours. We are supporting the project financially, and we also hope to be able to support the shelter and its users through volunteer work carried out by our employees.”

New diversity initiative: DC partners up with High5Girls

In an interview with Århus Stiftstidende, our Head of People & Culture Jonas Skovbjerg talks about DC’s new partnership with High5Girls, an NGO that works to get more young women enrolled in STEM educational programmes. The partnership with High5Girls is part of our strategic ambitions to strengthen gender diversity in the energy sector.

DC’s CIO: “we will grow the tech organisation by 30% in 2024”

Our CIO Kristian Majland sits down with Danish tech media Computerworld to discuss future ambitions for DC’s tech organisation, including adding more skilled people and strengthening diversity.

Danish district heating attracts international attention

In Denmark, the close link between power optimisation and heat generation makes it possible for combined heat and power plants (CHPs) to produce affordable heat in a volatile market. At the same time, CHPs support the build-out of renewables by producing power when supply is low and converting power to heat when there is plenty. This is the topic for the newest episode of the Danish industry podcast ‘Et Grønt Skridt Foran’ hosted by Verdo, an energy supplier and long-time DC customer, featuring our Head of Flexible Asset Management Jesper Vestergaard.

Performance culture can be an advantage for women

Our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen was interviewed by Danish energy media EnergiWatch in a series on women in the energy industry. In the interview, Helle argues that performance culture can actually be an advantage for women and encourages more women to join the energy trading business: “In a performance culture, results do the talking.”

Weather analysis and energy trading go hand-in-hand

Danish national broadcaster DR visited our headquarters in Aarhus to film a segment with Head of Intraday Power Trading Anders Kring and Head of Meteorology Kim Bentzen. As part of the segment, Anders and Kim explained how the weather affects energy production and consumption. A recent example of this was the heavy snowfall that has covered many of Europe’s solar panels, meaning that they can’t produce the same amount of power.

The power of algo trading

In an interview with S&P Global, our Head of Intraday Power Trading Tim Kummerfeld shared his views on the rapid development in algo trading that has taken place in recent years. Danske Commodities has invested heavily in automation, resulting in a shift from manual intraday trading to near-full automation in just five years: “Today, traders are more like pilots steering the plane. What our traders do is they shape the view on the market and then they steer the algorithms to execute in that market,” Tim explained.

Green business is good business

Energy trading companies – especially companies like Danske Commodities that also handle physical energy production assets like wind turbines and solar panels – play a major role in the energy transition. This is highlighted by Danish newspaper Børsen in an interview with our CEO Helle Ø. Kristiansen, who explains why the world’s renewable ambitions are a great fit with DC’s business model.

Diversity is a strategic must-win battle

Research shows that women are more underrepresented in the energy sector than any other major industry. In an interview with Danish business media Berlingske, our Head of People & Culture Jonas Skovbjerg explains why diversity is a strategic must-win battle for Danske Commodities: “Solving the serious energy challenges the world is facing will require innovation and new solutions. That is why we as a sector need to be able to attract the entire talent pool, men and women. We simply cannot afford to miss out on much needed competencies”.

Algo trading contributes to providing liquidity and dampening price volatility

Financial media outlet Bloomberg takes a look at how energy traders are part of the complex interconnections that keep Europe’s power network operating and help keep the grid balanced by shifting power to where it’s most needed. In the article, our Head of Intraday Power Trading, Tim Kummerfeld, explains how algorithms, skillfully steered by human traders, contribute to providing liquidity and dampening price volatility.

DC CEO: ”Energy trading is an export success for Denmark”

Our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen shares some insights into what it’s been like leading the biggest energy trading company in Denmark during a tumultuous time for the energy industry. One of Helle’s main points in the interview is that energy trading is actually a great export success for Denmark as more than 95% of the earnings come from outside Danish borders, yet the majority of company taxes are paid in Denmark.

Gas prices decline on lower demand

Talking to Bloomberg, Senior Portfolio Manager Philippe Francois highlights the significant developments that are shaping the gas industry. In the article, he explains that the gas market is experiencing an unusual phenomenon with fuller-than-normal inventories and a robust supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) which has brought some relief to a tight supply situation in Europe and made prices go down. Specifically, TTF front-month gas settled 8.4% lower at EUR 25.45/MWh, the lowest since May 2021.

DC supports increased regulation of energy industry

In an interview with Finans, CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen shares her support of increased regulation of the energy industry and underlines the importance of implementing such increased requirements on an EU-level.

2023 outlook: ”We need to accelerate investments in renewable energy”

Our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen shares her outlook for 2023 in Danish paper Jyllands-Posten, arguing that “Europe seems to have solved its supply issues on the short term as we start the new year with high filling levels across European gas storages. But to solve supply challenges on the long term, we need to increase Europe’s own production of energy with emphasis on the build-out of renewables. This means an acceleration of investments in renewable energy. And we need to do it now.”

European power prices surge as French nuclear output drops

French power prices for the winter have surged, with levels at an unprecedented EUR 1,000/MWh. The recent increase is driven by outages in French nuclear plants combined with high temperature weather – meaning record low power availability. In this article, Head of Intraday Power Trading Anders Kring explains the market situation to The Wall Street Journal.

DC’s CEO featured on Deloitte’s ‘BizzPod’ podcast

Host Christian Jensby talks to CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen and Deloitte’s Mikkel Boe about how a well-functioning energy market is reliant on an easy flow of energy across national borders and how current affairs affect the energy landscape.

“With Equinor, DC is in a new league”

Talking to Danish business daily Børsen, our CEO Helle Ø. Kristiansen, Equinor’s SVP, Gas & Power Helge Haugane and Danske Commodities’ founder Henrik Lind follow up on the 2019 acquisition of Danske Commodities by Equinor.

DC donates DKK 5 million to Aarhus International School

With the donation, we support a large-scale renovation of Aarhus International School (AIS). The renovation not only upgrades the school’s facilities but also increases the capacity of the school, making room for 600 children of more than 30 different nationalities.

DC’s CEO: “We will trade on five continents by 2025”

Talking to Danish business daily Børsen, our CEO Helle Ø. Kristiansen and Chairman Helge Haugane shared some of DC’s global ambitions, which includes trading on five continents by 2025.

Danske Commodities expands flexibility trading

Tor Mosegaard, Head of European Power Trading, spoke to ReNews about Danske Commodities’ new agreement with Octopus Energy’s KrakenFlex platform. The five-year agreement covers Europe and US markets, starting with the UK market.

Danske Commodities invests in new trading platform

Computerworld reports that Danske Commodities is building a completely new trading platform, which will be used to trade power and gas as quickly as possible at the best price.

How storm Malik affected power prices

Head of Intraday Power Trading Anders Kring spoke to Danish broadcaster TV2 to explain how storms like the recent ‘Malik’, and the weather in general, affect power prices.

Why Aarhus is the place to do business

Aarhus Stiftstidende has interviewed some of Aarhus’ most prominent leaders, including DC’s CEO Helle Ø. Kristiansen, about their jobs as chief executives and why they believe the city is the place to be for some of Denmark’s biggest companies. The article is in Danish and has a paywall.

IT talent is not about gender, age or nationality

In continuation of three DC employees being included among the top Danish IT talents recently, DC’s Head of IT Rasmus Lundgaard was interviewed for Erhvervsliv Aarhus about how the acknowledgment can put additional focus on DC as an established IT workplace.

Cold weather causes spike in energy prices

Head of Power Market Analysis Martin Juhl lends his expertise to The Wall Street Journal and provides insights into the recent spike in energy prices, which is driven by cold weather and political uncertainties.

DC’s CEO nominated for ‘Leader of the year’ award

Danish business media, Børsen, shared that DC’s CEO, Helle Ø. Kristiansen, is nominated for the prestigious ‘Leader of the Year’ award along with the Danish national football team coach, Salling Group’s CEO and GN Hearing’s CEO. Read the full publication here.

Attracting international employees is about offering the whole package

VP, Head of People & Culture, Marie-Louise Christensen, has spoken with Erhvervsliv Aarhus about attracting internationals to Danske Commodities, and the challenges that it may entail. What she’s found is that internationals value not just the company itself but the surrounding things such as safety, infrastructure and possibilities for their families. The article is in Danish.

DC’s CEO once again among world’s most powerful business women

For the third consecutive year, our CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen has been included on Fortune’s list of the most powerful female executives, who help break glass ceilings and lead the way in business. The renowned publication places Helle as no. 25 on the prestigious list and she is the only Dane included.

What happens when the wind stops blowing?

Just as Europe needs energy the most, the wind in the North Sea has stopped blowing. Fortune Magazine zooms in on the most recent energy crisis in the power market, asking questions like how long spiking energy prices will last and how to plan the energy transition to avoid them.

Power prices surge to new highs

Head of Intraday Power Trading Anders Kring sits down with Danish broadcasting major TV2 to explain how low winds, high gas prices and phase-outs of fossil fuels across Europe have sent power prices through the roof. The article is in Danish.

Algos to help protect CHP earnings

Danish TSO Energinet has recommended phasing out the current special regulation scheme. The phasing out is expected to put pressure on the earnings of Danish CHPs, but in the latest issue of Decentral Energi’s bi-monthly magazine, Senior Originator Jakob Krogshave Laursen says that algorithms can be part of the solution.

Aarhus: The Silicon Valley of energy trading

Since the founding of DC in 2004, energy trading in central Denmark has grown bigger at a steady pace. So, what makes Aarhus that special of a place to be trading energy? Danish media, Jyllands-Posten, zooms in on DC’s home city. The article is in Danish.

Self-knowledge is more important than straight A’s

DJØF sits down with CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen to talk about personal growth, getting the right grades and picking the right electives when studying. The article is in Danish.

New ways of working

Danish business media Finans has asked several executives about their learnings in the wake of Corona — including our VP, Head of People & Culture, Marie-Louise Brebøl Christensen. Read her take on how the pandemic has created new ways of working in DC (article in Danish).

Danske Commodities helps increase access to energy in one of the world’s poorest countries

The sustainability website CSR.dk has highlighted Danske Commodities’ work with PlanBørnefonden in Benin, one of the world’s poorest countries. Through specialised education in installing and maintaining solar panels, many now have easier access to energy, jobs and education. The article is in Danish.

Bloomberg: Working From Home Is Making Power Trading More Tricky in Europe

Head of Commercial Business Development Andreas Schwartz Knudsen offers his insights on what a continuation of working at home will mean for energy markets in this Bloomberg article.

“The pandemic has reminded us that we aren’t in control of everything”

Danish financial media Finans is zooming in on the Coronavirus crisis by interviewing some of Denmark’s decision-makers on the pandemic’s effect on the business world and our lives in general. In this article, CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen provides her take on the matter.

CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen: You can’t let others decide what you can and cannot do

In a new series of interviews, Danish media outlet Finans zooms in on nine prominent business leaders; among them DC’s CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen, who reveals her approach to leadership in a career with ups and downs. The article is in Danish.

A bright future for the energy market in Ukraine

Regional Relationship Manager, Branimir Beljan, spoke to energy consultancy ExPro on DC’s recent moves in the Ukrainian power market, zooming in on major European power market trends, cross-border trading features and conditions for entering the internal Ukrainian market.

Get in touch

Lotte Ulsøe

Senior Communications Advisor

For any media-related enquiries, please contact Lotte.