Who, Where

We Are FREYR

Rooted in Denmark. Working across Europe . Open to the world

Claudia Virenfeldt

Legal & Human Rights project manager

Bjarne Møller

President
Co-founder

Claudia Cuneo

Well-being trainer

Andreas Dahl

Researcher
consultant

Eirini Alexiou

aRT THERAPIST

Mike Filip

socratic seminar facilitator & trainer

WHERE ARE WE?

FREYR Institute is based in Esbjerg, Denmark—a city shaped by international cooperation, innovation and sustainability. From here, we work with partners across Europe while remaining connected to the communities we serve.

WELCOME TO ESBJERG:

Esbjerg - Facts:

A lost war that led to the establishment of Esbjerg.

In 1864, Denmark lost the war against Prussia over Schleswig-Holstein, thereby losing access to the harbours that had been ports of disembarkation for Danish agricultural exports - mainly livestock. So, in 1868 the Esbjerg Harbour was founded to replace the export ports that had been lost. The first ship was able to enter the new harbour in Esbjerg in 1873. The 250 meters-long quay was completed in 1874 and now it is 12 km long quay.

Before the harbour was built, in 1868 the population was 23. With the new harbour, the population grew to 460 in 1870 and to 13,355 in 1901.
Esbjerg's parents-in-law are Europe's parents-in-law

King Christian IX (1863-1906) and Queen Louise were on the throne when the Esbjerg Harbour act came into force in 1868. The equestrian statue of Christian IX on the market square commemorates the king's connection to the young town. And it is hardly a coincidence that two of the city's striking restaurants on the Square have been called after King Christian IX and Queen Louise.
The couple had six children: Frederik (later Frederik VIII of Denmark); Alexandra (who became the wife of the British prince Edward, who later became Edward VII); Vilhelm (who was elected King of Greece under the name George I); Dagmar (who married Tsar Alexander III of Russia); Thyra (who married Count Ernst August); and Valdemar (who married Marie of Orléans in 1885). Because of the many marriages entered into with representatives of the European royal families by the children of the royal couple, they were popularly referred to as "Europe's parents-in-law".

In the XIX century, in less than 30 years, Esbjerg transformed from a fish village to a major exporter of bacon, butter and eggs to Great Britain

Established in 1895 by nine local dairies, the butter-packaging factory, Dansk Andels Smørpakkeri, employed some 150 workers until 1920, packing and dispatching butter for the London market. It was later extended to include egg marketing under the name Dansk Andels Ægeksport. Ultimately, it handled produce from 140 dairies spread across the whole of Jutland.

Denmark's Chicago

Esbjerg is nicknamed Denmark's Chicago because in its first decades after the opening of the dock, the town underwent high growth and a rapid population increase. By the time Esbjerg gained market town status in 1899, its population had increased to around 13,000. A great many of the migrants to Esbjerg were fishermen, who came from the whole of the west coast of Jutland with an eye on the opportunities presented by the new harbour. The railway reached the town simultaneously with the inauguration of the dock in 1874, which made it possible to sell and export fish. Although never the plan, Esbjerg went on to become Denmark's largest fishing port. Port of Esbjerg has been extended many times over, but the dock still exists and is referred to as the cradle of Esbjerg.

In 1970, Esbjerg was the largest fishing port in Denmark.
In 2000, Esbjerg was already the Danish capital of oil and gas.
Today, the Port of Esbjerg is the leading port in Europe in terms of handling and shipping out wind power. More than 4/5 of the current amount of offshore wind capacity installed in Europe was shipped out from the Port of Esbjerg.
Esbjerg is the energy metropolis and offshore capital of Denmark with more than 250 companies doing business in offshore oil & gas, as well as the offshore wind industry.
62% of Danish offshore jobs are located in Esbjerg.
Esbjerg is among the 20 most important energy cities worldwide.
75% of all Danish-produced wind turbines are shipped through the Port of Esbjerg.
Neighbour to Denmark's oldest city

It is a paradox (or an irony?) that the young industrial city has as its closest neighbour Denmark's oldest city - the old royal and cathedral city of Ribe, which lies only 30 km south of Esbjerg.

The Esbjerg Declaration: A Greener and More Sustainable Europe

May 2022 - Esbjerg lends its name to an important European agreement to expand offshore green energy. The Esbjerg Declaration marks a historic collaboration between Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, aimed at transforming the North Sea into a green power plant of Europe.
Esbjerg is a key player in Europe’s energy history.
Heads of government from Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands signed The Esbjerg Declaration setting up ambitious goals:

Expansion of Offshore Wind Energy:
The goal is to increase capacity to at least 150 GW of offshore wind energy by 2050, which can supply up to 230 million European households with green electricity. This represents a tenfold increase and constitutes more than half of what is needed for the EU to achieve climate neutrality. To generate this significant capacity, a total of 10.000 of the latest wind turbines will be required in the North Sea.
Increased Energy Security:
Europe aims to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, such as Russian oil, coal, and gas, by enhancing the production of renewable energy. This transition will make Europe more self-sufficient and less vulnerable to geopolitical tensions and fluctuations in fossil fuel prices.
Reduction of Fossil Fuels:
One of the primary objectives of the declaration is to reduce CO2 emissions. By replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources like offshore wind energy, the initiative actively contributes to combating climate change and helps meet the EU's climate goals.
A Sustainable Future:
The agreement promotes a greener and more sustainable future by prioritizing renewable energy sources.

Read the official Esbjerg Declaration at Regeringen.dk