Address from. Svenja Schulze. Minister for Innovation, Science and Research. of the State of North Rhine Westphalia

Transcription

1 Address from Svenja Schulze Minister for Innovation, Science and Research of the State of North Rhine Westphalia Grand Challenges: Answers from North Rhine Westphalia Flexible power plants for the Energiewende Brussels, 5 March 2015 Check against delivery

2 Dr Schuppers Mr Janssen On behalf of the State Government, I would like to welcome you here at our conference, Flexible power plants for the Energiewende. Or, in other words, welcome to Germany s premier energy state. North Rhine Westphalia is the front runner when it comes to the use of converted energy. Our strong and energy-intensive industries look back on many years of using natural resources, something we have managed to turn into broad-based competence in energy-related technologies. We have built a close network of research and business establishments that are dedicated to developing and providing innovative products and services for the energy sector. Given all that, what other state or region would be better suited than North Rhine Westphalia to help deliver the key solutions to increase energy efficiency and utilise renewable sources? That is what we are aspiring to. We want to give the key strategic answers to the big challenges our societies are faced with, the challenges posed by global warming and the dwindling resources. In North Rhine Westphalia, more than thirty renowned universities, ten non-academic high-level research establishments and the research divisions of numerous companies are working towards this objective. Some 2000 internationally renowned researchers are currently working to come up with cutting-edge ideas that would help make the use of energy more affordable, efficient and eco-friendly. It is a huge investment in resources and knowledge we are making here. It is also very necessary. Whatever your preferred synonym reversal of traditional energy policies, energy transition or turnaround, nuclear phase-out Germany s Energiewende, the internationally 2 / 5

3 highly visible re-alignment of energy supply is no mean feat. Quite the reverse, the Energiewende is an ambitious project, one of the biggest for several generations, and it puts enormous demands on all those involved. The project is not limited to North Rhine Westphalia - or to Germany, for that matter. It is quite capable of proposing solutions for sustainable energy supply across the globe. Energy transition in Germany is potentially a blueprint for Europe and other industrialised nations, and is poised to be a driver of worldwide climate protection. From the perspective of North Rhine Westphalia, Europe s industrial heartland, I am happy to proclaim that if the Energiewende is a success story at home, it can succeed anywhere. For that to happen, however, we must move away from the pursuit of short-term goals and proceed towards long-term transformation. These will be the four corners of the transformation of today s energy supply structures: Integration of renewable sources Greater energy efficiency Emission cuts Phasing out nuclear energy the German option Research and industry have the leading roles in this. They need to develop the right technologies for satisfying the various prerequisites of sustainable energy supply structures: eco-friendliness, supply security, economic viability and social compatibility. Those factors are crucial not just to an industrial hub like North Rhine Westphalia but to the European Union as well, which is, after all, the world s No. 1 economic bloc. The window of opportunity for successfully limiting global warming to a 2 degree increase is closing, as shown in particular by the latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Industrialised nations, especially those in Europe, need to do their bit to help protect the climate. North Rhine Westphalia is doing exactly that, as befits our role as one of the leading centres of energy research in Europe and, indeed, the world. We have 3 / 5

4 recognised the necessity, we possess the capability and we have spotted the opportunity this brings, including the potential economic benefits. Through the research strategy, Progress NRW, we have therefore aligned our research policy with the aim to have sustainable development across the full spectrum of the grand challenges. In order to strengthen research into sustainable energy supply in North Rhine Westphalia, the State Government is backing a multitude of research activities, including the work of the Rhein Ruhr Power alliance, which you are going to learn more about later on. In a joint effort with RRP, a conference, Power Generation for the Future Needs, Options and Solutions, was held in November 2011 here in Brussels. Today, we want to build on this and present the research findings made by the Partner Steam Power Plant collaboration project, along with the innovative force represented by the Rhine/Ruhr region. Following the presentations, we would like to discuss with you the European and worldwide implications of the research findings for the implementation of the Energiewende made in NRW. Rather than focussing on the risks of energy transition as people tend to we should take a closer look at the opportunities handed by the new policy to an economy such as the EU. Today s topics therefore include highly efficient gas- and coal-fired power plants, seeing as these are going to be increasingly important to sustainable energy supply in the decades ahead, both in Europe and throughout the world. Now, this may sound like contradiction, but it is not. As long as there are no truly efficient ways to store energy, and until national and international supply security can be ensured through utilisation of renewable energy, we will continue to have to rely on thermal power stations for grid stability. Not least with a view to protecting Europe s strong economy and the sustainable prosperity we enjoy in Europe. 4 / 5

5 Research and development of highly efficient and flexible fossil-based energy systems is as conducive to sustainable energy supply as the development of renewable sources. So, I am glad that, later on, people from Rhein-Ruhr Power are going to present a couple of potential solutions: research into solar power towers and proposals for turning fossil-based energy systems into supplements to supply structures increasingly dominated by renewable energy. Both approaches are crucial elements of North Rhine Westphalia s contribution to climate protection and resource efficiency. Can I use this to say how grateful I am to all those who made this conference possible. I wish everyone stimulating and productive discussions. Let us work together and put energy supply on a sustainable footing, shouldering our part of the worldwide responsibility for future generations. Thank you very much 5 / 5