Ski Slope Power Plant in Denmark Produces Enough Power for 150k Homes Annually

16 Oct 2024

The CopenHill power plant features a ski slope, garden, cross-fit area, and hiking and running trail. (Image Credit: Bhjarke Ingels Group)

Five years ago, Bhjarke Ingels Group (BIG) completed the CopenHill, a waste-to-energy power plant in Copenhagen, Denmark, that features public recreation on its roof. This facility generates electricity by burning waste produced by the country --- 1,800 pounds per person annually. With this technique, the country can easily remove 440,000 tons of trash per year instead of sending it to landfills. And the energy generated can power 150,000 homes in Denmark.

BIG founder Bjarke Ingels claims this is the cleanest waste-to-energy facility in the world as the chimney only has steam coming out. However, The Earthbound Report says the steam has carbon dioxide. It also says CopenHill removes toxins not found in the air.

Internally, Copenhill features machines arranged by size to form a slope on the exterior roof that turns 180 degrees in the middle. Open 24/7, visitors grab a ride on the platter lift, carpet lift, or glass elevator to reach the top and use this ramp as a ski slope. The roof also has a cross-fit area, an 85-meter-high climbing wall, and a 490-meter-long hiking and running trail in a garden. SLA Architects designed the garden as a green pocket for the birds, bees, and flowers. It absorbs heat, removes air particles, and minimizes rainwater runoff.

All this waste goes through a complex, multi-layered filtering and cleaning process that removes pollutants from the flue and water discharges. The smoke-scrubbing system consists of a catalyzer, three scrubbers, a dust filter, and an electric filter. They remove NOx, HCI, dust, mercury, SO2, water vapor, and any remaining dust in the smoke. The smoke is also monitored before it’s released.

The slag (sand, gravel, ash, and metals) from the burning process is made of approximately 17-20% of the waste. During the process, the slag matures, which takes three to four months, allowing metals to bind to it and prevent leaching. The metals then get extracted for recycling, while the slag is used for building and construction. Fly ash is sold as a lime substitute and can be used to reproduce a landscape in a disused limestone quarry.

CopenHill serves as a hedonistic, sustainable building that makes the environment and city more enjoyable to live in.