New Energy for an Old Power Plant

For seventy years, Svanemølleværket powered Copenhagen with heat and electricity. Now, as the furnaces fell silent, a new kind of energy is rising – one fuelled by innovative ideas and green ambition. The majestic industrial building by the water’s edge is set to become Denmark’s new hub for technology and sustainability, a power plant for the planet. At a time when Denmark is reshaping itself as both a climate nation and a digital society, Svanemølleværket stands as a potent symbol of transformation. The question is both poetic and practical: what if the same walls that once drove industrial progress could now generate solutions to the climate crisis?

When the energy company Ørsted prepared to decommission the plant, By & Havn and Bygningsfonden DTM 4.0 saw a rare opportunity. Together with Group NAO, they set out to explore how the 22,000 m² industrial landmark could be reimagined, serving both as a technology museum and a living hub for innovation and public engagement. The result is a vision for a place where green startups and global companies meet policymakers and citizens, where green-transition solutions are developed, debated, and displayed, and where innovative visions and democratic debates drive learning and contribute to Denmark's transformation into a green nation.