A GREEN FUTURE FOR NORTH JUTLAND

NNORTH JUTLAND HAS been at the forefront of green technologies in recent years. The focus on green energy and circular economies is rising, and the regional, private and public sectors in North Jutland have prioritised ensuring that we are at the forefront of this new development.

The region’s wind energy production is especially impressive, with 970 windmills installed in the area and plans on establishing more offshore wind farms. This has led to many jobs in the energy sector, the biggest companies being, of course, Siemens Gamesa and EuroWind, Bladt Industries and Blaest. All these companies are working on developing and installing the growing need for wind energy solutions, and they are constantly looking for both skilled and unskilled workers to facilitate the growing industry. In addition, the test of wind turbine blades in Aalborg is the largest concentration in the world. North Jutland has therefore developed into an international hub for blade testing, a crucial part of wind turbine production.

North Jutland has had strong ties to the maritime industry for centuries and is currently in a state of transformation. The shining jewel in the current green evolution of North Jutland is the CO2 Vision project. The project aims to make CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage) infrastructure and technology to capture CO2 and either use or store it. CO2Vision aims to test and experiment with CCUS technology and scale it so it can have a real and meaningful impact on both the environment and the economy. The maritime and offshore industries are also changing to be able to ship and store this new energy source. This has led to an influx of new jobs in the industry, and thousands of new workers will be needed to keep this evolution going.

In addition, the Aalborg power and heating plant Norbis Park has been a major player in the region’s green job market. The plant is publicly owned and is, therefore, in a perfect position to facilitate Aalborg’s vision for a greener and more sustainable future. The plant can generate heat from various sources, such as heating pumps, wind energy, solar and much more, and has large areas reserved for green and sustainable energy experiments.

Overall, North Jutland has quickly become one of the fastestgrowing regions in the country for green job opportunities. With its strong wind energy production, maritime industry, and large scalable CCUS projects, the region is well-positioned to impact the future of green energy. This also means that companies will need increasing amounts of skilled labour, especially in engineering, IT and physics. The CCUS industry alone needs thousands of skilled employees that we simply cannot create locally, so these industries need a competent international workforce.

To support this green development, International House North Denmark supports companies in attracting and retaining these vital international employees. They do this by hosting competence development events and communicating information campaigns, showing these companies the importance and benefits of attracting an international workforce. International House North Denmark also takes a more direct approach in giving specialised advice and guidance on how to reach out to international workers or how to adapt the workplace to ensure international workers can thrive in their workspace. It also aids directly with recruitment and matchmaking, reaching out to its large base of international citizens or guiding citizens in the right direction. All these activities are in place to support a green future for North Jutland. THE-INTL

Lasse Frimand Jensen

TEAM MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER lassefj.dk lassefj.dk lassefj.dk

 Team Manager at International House North Denmark.

 City Council member in Aalborg Municipality.

 Group chairman for the Social Democratic Party in Aalborg.

 Chairman of DANVA and Port of Aalborg.

 Father of three kids and married to Kirstine.

 Worked and lived in Africa as an expat.

 Takes an active part as a volunteer for the international community.

 Believes in international solidarity and wants the international community in Aalborg to be more aware of their rights.