Green fuels and sustainable carbon: What comes next for Europe?
Leading researchers, industry experts and innovators will gather in Aarhus next week to discuss the technologies needed to reduce Europe's dependence on fossil resources and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The energy transition is about much more than building additional wind farms and solar parks.
While renewable electricity is rapidly expanding across Europe, some of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise—including aviation, shipping, heavy industry and chemical manufacturing—cannot rely on direct electrification alone. These sectors require energy-dense fuels and carbon-based feedstocks, most of which are still derived from fossil resources.
Addressing this challenge will require new technologies, new value chains and closer collaboration between academia, industry and policymakers.
This is the backdrop for Aarhus Power-to-X Symposium 2026, which will take place on 24–25 June at the Marselis Hotel in Aarhus, Denmark.
Now in its fifth year, the symposium brings together leading voices from across the Power-to-X and carbon management landscape. This year's programme focuses on one of the defining questions facing the sector: how do we move from ambitious strategies and pilot projects to scalable, commercially viable solutions?
“Europe can generate vast amounts of renewable electricity, but electricity alone will not solve the challenges facing aviation, shipping or the chemical industry. If we are serious about phasing out fossil resources, we must learn how to produce sustainable fuels and products from renewable energy and recycled carbon. That is precisely why Power-to-X has become a strategic technology for Europe,” says Lars Ottosen, Professor and Head of the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University.
A reality check for the Power-to-X sector
The past few years have demonstrated both the promise and the complexity of building a competitive Power-to-X industry.
Production costs remain high, infrastructure development is uneven, and market deployment depends on investment, regulation and continued technological innovation. Yet the underlying need for Power-to-X has only become more evident.
Power-to-X technologies can convert renewable electricity into hydrogen, synthetic fuels and chemical building blocks for sectors where direct electrification is either impractical or impossible. At the same time, access to sustainable carbon sources is becoming increasingly important if future fuels and materials are to replace fossil-based alternatives.
This is why discussions about Power-to-X increasingly overlap with discussions about carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).
“Power-to-X and carbon management are closely interconnected. If we want to develop sustainable fuels, new materials and a more resilient European energy system, we need both abundant renewable energy and smarter ways of managing carbon,” says Lasse Rosendahl, Professor and CEO of CORC – the CO₂ Research Center funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
From technology development to industrial value chains
Aarhus Power-to-X Symposium 2026 will bring together stakeholders from across research, industry and technology development to discuss the issues shaping the next phase of the transition.
How can Power-to-X become more competitive? Where will sustainable carbon come from? How do we connect carbon capture, green hydrogen, electrofuels and industrial demand? And how can Europe build value chains that strengthen energy security while creating new opportunities for growth?
The symposium is organised by Aarhus University, CORC, DaCES, Aalborg University, the Danish Technological Institute and IDA Energy.
The programme includes presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities covering topics such as:
- Sustainable carbon cycles
- Green fuels for aviation, shipping and heavy transport
- Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
- Industrial scale-up and commercialisation
- European energy resilience and strategic autonomy
- New partnerships between academia and industry
Registration remains open
Aarhus Power-to-X Symposium 2026 takes place on 24–25 June 2026 in Aarhus, Denmark.
Over two days, researchers, technology developers, industrial companies, innovation organisations and decision-makers will come together to explore how Europe can move beyond pilot projects and policy ambitions towards solutions that can deliver impact at scale.
Contact
Jesper Bruun
Journalist
Aarhus University
Mail: bruun@au.dk
For questions regarding Aarhus Power-to-X Symposium 2026, please contact: PtXSymposium@au.dk