Clean-Tech, Power & Public Utilities
Translation
For vendors and suppliers, clear, concise and well-written documentation and communication are essential as clients within clean tech, power and utilities rely on this.
Listed below are various types of clean tech and power solutions for enterprises, public utilities and private individuals where proper documentation is crucial and plays an important role, both when the clients source and procure components, materials, maintenance and advisory services as well as when they sell products and services to help drive the green transition in Denmark and globally.
Waste management and recycling services, including waste treatment plants, waste collection, reuse and deposit-refund systems
Wastewater treatment, including filtration, biological nutrient removal and sludge pyrolysis
Biofuel production involving hydrolysis, fermentation and gasification to convert biomass into e.g. ethanol, methanol or biogas
Energy storage technologies, including lithium-ion batteries and emerging, innovative solutions
Carbon capture and storage through CO2 compression, purification and liquefaction. Biomass pyrolysis to create biochar
Power-to-X to produce e.g. green hydrogen, e-methanol, e-kerosene or e-ammonia using renewable energy
Solar energy solutions, including photovoltaic installations, heat exchangers and mounting systems
Wind power, including wind turbine production and wind turbine service and maintenance
Upgrading engines and plants to reduce GHG emissions and for conversion from fossil fuels to renewable energy in hard-to-abate sectors
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including installation and maintenance services
District heating systems using cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power (CHP) plants, and using green energy
Water treatment and supply systems for drinking water, including distribution networks
If you are manufacturing or providing services for one or more of these, don’t forget that comprehensible and fluent communication and documentation can eliminate a lot of effort and frustration, let alone the costs of lost order opportunities.
Dilemmas in Europe's Transition to Green Energy
In Europe, we want to transition to renewable power as soon as possible. But the path to achieving this goal is filled with dilemmas.
One of the energy traders, the Danish company Danske Commodities make their earnings from bridging the gaps between supply and demand – their turnover was EUR 40,460 million, and earnings EUR 359 million in 2023. In an interview in the Danish public service medium DR in September 2024, its CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen gave an account of the situation. Below is a summary of what she said in Danish, which can help to understand the power supply situation in Europe and see where it might be headed in the future.
The power demand from industrial plants, businesses and consumers fluctuates, but the power supply from renewables such as wind and solar power fluctuates even more. As power is delivered to consumers in max. 24 hours after it has been generated, Danske Commodities balance demand and supply day and night through constant selling and buying – on average 35,000 times in 24 hours, mainly on European markets.
The trading is computer-controlled through AI systems. Consequently, IT and technology specialists play a pivotal role in energy trading. Meteorologists are also a part of the company’s workforce for the forecasting of the power supply. When the sun comes out after a snowy night, solar power production increases from 0 to 100% in a few seconds when the melting snow slides off the solar panels.
In 2024 (based on figures until September), the supply often exceeded demand in Denmark. As storage is not an option yet, the price of power became negative, i.e. utilities paid consumers for their power consumption when the supply rose above the demand. The cost of power transportation most often outweighed this gain, but Danish power prices were extremely low during these hours with low demand and high supply. In 2024 (until September), this situation occurred more frequently in Denmark than ever before.
Despite the surplus, the unstable power supply from renewables remains a huge challenge because the differences between peaks and lows increase. Power plants operating on fossil fuels were able to provide a baseload, but fossil energy consumption is fortunately decreasing due to the increase in renewable energy sources. However, at present renewables cannot provide a baseload. Wind turbines can generate power during seasons with little sunshine, but investments in new wind turbines in Denmark have been halted by a protracted approval process in the EU and the American Inflation Reduction Act, which has made investments in American wind turbines more attractive.
In the long run, a proper baseload will require better energy storage solutions, but this will take years to scale up, so wind power must increase, according to Helle Østergaard Kristiansen. The demand is being pushed up by consumers transitioning from gasoline cars to electric vehicles and by the power consumption from AI.
Another challenge is the bottleneck created by power transmission. European Transmission System Operators (TSOs) are unable to keep pace with the rising demand for more capacity. Wind turbines are sometimes brought to a standstill in Denmark on windy days because there is not enough transmission capacity to send the power to countries where it could replace power from fossil power plants.
The worst-case scenario of an outcome of these dilemmas is that energy prices will rise and that Europe’s green transition will be unsuccessful. Or even worse, Denmark and the rest of Europe could experience an increasing occurrence of blackout events due to temporary power shortages.
For now, trading through AI-controlled computer systems is sufficient to avoid these worst-case scenarios, but according to Helle Østergaard Kristiansen, to prevent them from happening in the future, it is necessary to expand the energy transmission capacity and erect more wind turbines.
Challenges in Clean-tech, Power & Utilities Translation
Successful translation in this field requires a combination of linguistic skills, technical knowledge and audience awareness to communicate complex ideas effectively across two languages.
Clean-tech document translation and energy sector translation to Danish and from Danish involve several challenges. Among these, the most significant is the multidisciplinary nature of the work and the intricacy of the subject field, both highlighting why clean-tech and renewable energy translation is a complex operation.
Here are some of the challenges that the translator is faced with:
Evolving Language
The field is evolving rapidly, with new concepts, technologies and terminologies emerging frequently. The translator needs to keep abreast of the latest developments to ensure that the translation is current and relevant.
Audience Awareness
The target audience for clean-tech texts can vary widely, from scientists and industry professionals to policymakers and the general public. The translator must tailor the language and style to suit the specific audience to be addressed. Using the same tone of voice in the target language as in the source language is paramount.
Local Context
Countries have varying approaches to clean-tech and energy policies. The translator must consider these differences in strategies and practices to ensure that they are conveyed or transferred in a way that is understandable and resonates with the target audience.
Complex Concepts and Technical Terminology
Many clean-tech topics involve complex science and engineering concepts that can be difficult to simplify without losing meaning. For a general audience, the translator must strike a balance between technical accuracy and readability. For a professional audience, on the other hand, the translation of technical details must be accurate and reflect the professional level of the source language text. The translator must also have a sufficient understanding of the subject matter to ensure correct translation of technical terms that may not have direct equivalents in the target language.
Multidisciplinary Nature
Clean technology, electric power and public utilities cover a variety of professional fields, including engineering, environmental science, IT, digital technologies, economics and policy. In addition to language and linguistics, the translator must have some knowledge of these disciplines to investigate terminology effectively, and to know when to reach out to get help with complex technicalities in the source language text. Given the technical nature of the content, the translator must be willing to spend time collaborating with subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.
Graphical Illustrations and Data Representation
Many texts in these fields include charts, graphs and data sets. The translator must ensure that any accompanying illustrations are accurately labelled and that the data is correctly interpreted in the target language.
A solution for Danish-English and English-Danish translation and language services
If you deliver equipment, parts, consumables or services to companies or utilities in the clean-tech or the energy sector, it can be challenging to find the right professional for Danish to English or English to Danish translation, or Danish or English writing tasks.
I offer professional translation to Danish, and from Danish to English, as well as writing and editing services in English and Danish. I am committed to delivering high-quality work that meets the high standards within clean tech, power and utilities.