PORTRAIT: Hanne Klintøe Powers Aabenraa’s Sector Coupling Vision

Hanne Klintøe left Copenhagen for Aabenraa to become a driving force in Denmark’s most ambitious local energy transformation. As Head of PtX Development, she now orchestrates the smart connections between renewable energy, water, heat, and industry that define sector coupling in action.

Hanne Klintøe stands at the centre of a growing web of energy systems in Aabenraa. Solar parks, wind farms and Power-to-X facilities generate electricity and fuel. Wastewater is cleaned and reused instead of released into nature. Surplus heat is channelled into homes and businesses. In Kassø alone, 3,000 households already benefit from this network, with capacity expected to rise to 10,000 as systems expand. The municipality is also preparing for new industries like data centres, which will feed even more heat into the circular system.

What makes Aabenraa unique is the local ownership and integration of energy planning. Food producers and manufacturers are tapping into excess heat, reducing reliance on gas and electricity. Political commitment and public support have created space for innovation.

For Klintøe, sector coupling is more than technology. It is a way to rethink how communities use energy. And it is turning Aabenraa into a national model for circular, green growth. Read the full article here.