DTU gets 150 million donation for new research centre

The new enterprise will focus on developing technologies that can replace fossil fuels with sustainable solutions

Lucie Rychla

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has received a 150 million kroner donation from the Villum Foundation for a new research centre.

The Villum Centre for the Science of Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals will focus on developing breakthrough technologies that can replace the use of fossil fuels with sustainable solutions.

The centre will be part of DTU Physics in Lyngby and will be led by Professor Ib Chorkendorff.

Chance to experiment
“This grant gives us a unique opportunity to contribute to the green transformation of the global community,” Chorkendorff stated.

“We also get a rare chance to try out ideas when the risk of failing is high, but which have the potential of becoming the technological breakthroughs the world needs.”

New technologies needed
DTU’s rector, Anders Bjarklev, said major technological challenges must be addressed first before the world can go completely green.

“Although it is desirable to stop the consumption of fossil fuels today, it’s completely unrealistic,” he said.

“We still need technology that can replace fossil resources: for example,  kerosene [powers jet engines of aircraft], in chemical production, and to some extent also energy supply.”

Villum Foundation is the principal shareholder of the VKR Group, which among other things owns Velux, the Danish producer of roofs and skylights.

This is the largest ever donation the foundation has made.

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