Energy in the Arctic is the theme of this year’s Nordic Energy Challenge. The Arctic area has exceptional challenges and opportunities in connection with the green transition. How should these challenges and opportunities be met?

Nordic Energy Research asks, what energy challenges or solutions in the Arctic will, together with the rest of the Nordic region, pave the way for becoming the most sustainable and integrated region in the world? How can further Nordic energy co-operation facilitate the combination of high environmental ambitions and economic growth? And in what ways can these ambitions obtain a broad and strong commitment from the public, business, industry, and civil society? 

In the search for solutions in support of the green transition, we need contributions from a variety of stakeholders. Nordic Energy Research therefore invites all relevant actors to take part in this year’s Nordic Energy Challenge, including companies from the energy sector or other sectors, researchers/academics, non-profit organizations, business and sectorial associations, think-tanks, students, and individuals. Part of the Nordic Energy Challenge is to provide a platform for these stakeholders to develop new energy related ideas by co-operation.

Arctic energy conditions

Since much of the Nordic region, both on land and at sea, falls within the Arctic Circle, the Nordics are strongly involved in issues that concern this unique and harsh, but also vulnerable area. 

The Arctic region consists mostly of islands or remote areas with limited electricity interconnection between national grids or to mainland grids. Such isolated micro-grids depend largely on local energy supply, as well as on import of expensive fossil fuels to cover stationary energy demand as well as transport. 

On the one hand, the Arctic has large renewable energy resources that enable the region to become self-sufficient with zero-emission energy or even an exporter of green transport fuels/energy carriers. On the other hand, the smaller or isolated an energy system is, the more challenging it is to integrate variable renewable energy generation in the energy supply.

By participating in the Nordic Energy Challenge 2022 – the Arctic Energy Challenge – you will identify the advantageous and limiting energy conditions in the Arctic region and address them by means of Nordic cooperation. Finding common Nordic solutions to the Arctic energy issues entails large benefits and creates added value to the region.

Nordic Energy Research will utilize the contributions to the Nordic Energy Challenge to continue the Nordic region’s efforts of being a socially sustainable, competitive, and climate neutral, and in support of the Nordic vision of becoming the most sustainable and integrated region in the world.

Submit an abstract of you innovative proposal by May 22nd, at the latest – and accept the challenge of solving energy related perplexities in the Arctic and Nordic region.

Send your submissions, as well as any questions, to:
tender@nordicenergy.org