In Denmark, the energy debate is entering a new chapter. For decades, the country has been a global example of renewable innovation = wind, solar, and smart grid integration. Yet as the world’s appetite for power grows exponentially, especially with the rise of AI, expansion of infrastructure, and advanced computing, questions are re-emerging:
Can renewables alone meet the demand? Should Denmark revisit nuclear, and even fusion?
A Quiet Revival at DTU Risø
The Risø campus near Roskilde, once home to Denmark’s nuclear research, is stirring again. DTU has launched the Center for Nuclear Energy Technology, consolidating research into advanced reactors, materials science, and safety systems. After decades focused solely on renewables, this marks a symbolic and practical shift: Denmark is reopening the conversation about nuclear energy, this time with new technologies and sustainability in mind.
Søren Bang Korsholm’s Call for a Fusion Strategy
In his article “We Need a Danish Fusion Strategy”, DTU physicist Dr. Søren Bang Korsholm argues that fusion energy deserves national strategic attention. Fusion, the same process that powers the sun, could deliver near-limitless clean energy. Korsholm emphasizes that Denmark should not merely watch global progress; it should contribute through partnerships, innovation, and education.
This resonates deeply. Fusion isn’t just about physics. It’s about system thinking, connecting research, policy, industry, and long-term infrastructure. It’s a management and coordination challenge as much as a scientific one.
Private Innovation: Copenhagen Atomics
Meanwhile, Copenhagen Atomics is pushing a different frontier: molten salt reactors. Their “waste-burner” concept aims to convert existing nuclear waste into usable energy, shrinking the waste footprint and making reactors safer and modular. These reactors could be mass-manufactured and shipped in standard containers, turning nuclear from a megaproject into an exportable product.
While not fusion, the company represents the same spirit, scalable, industrialized, tech-driven innovation with global implications.
Policy Winds Are Shifting
For forty years, Denmark maintained a ban on nuclear power. But as of 2025, that stance is softening. Parliament is studying the role of small modular reactors (SMRs) and fusion in the national energy mix. Public opinion has become more favorable, especially among younger generations who see advanced nuclear as part of a sustainable portfolio rather than a threat.
If the policy changes, Risø could again become a hub for nuclear or hybrid energy research = combining reactors, renewables, storage, and AI-based grid management. That’s not just a technical opportunity but a systems-management challenge that fits perfectly at the intersection of technology and economics.
Why It Matters to Me
Living near Roskilde, I’ve found myself going down a rabbit hole of research, reading papers, articles, and even company roadmaps about Denmark’s nuclear future. I’m not a physicist; my background is in technology, management, and systems analysis. But I believe that fusion and advanced reactors will shape not just how we power the world but how we manage innovation, industrial scaling, and data-driven infrastructure.
Energy is the foundation for everything, from industry to computation. As AI and global digitalization accelerate, so will the need for clean, constant, high-output energy sources. The next generation of projects in Denmark could blend renewable leadership with a return to scientific courage, combining wind, fusion, nuclear, and molten salt innovation into one integrated strategy.
Looking Ahead
Denmark stands at a crossroads: continue refining renewable excellence, or expand its leadership into nuclear and fusion innovation. The smart path is probably both, creating hybrid systems where renewables handle flexibility and advanced reactors provide reliable baseload power.
It’s not about abandoning the past but upgrading the vision. The future of energy isn’t just technical; it’s about management, cooperation, and design thinking at a national scale.
If fusion is the next great adventure, Denmark has all the ingredients to join it: research institutions, innovative companies, and a tradition of bold engineering.
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