By Páll Tómas Finnsson
Both the energy sector and Nordic policy makers were well represented at the Nordic Energy Research 25-year Anniversary Conference, held at the Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen on October 25-26.
The attendees agreed that impressive results had been achieved but also that continued innovative energy research and technology development is essential to ensure a green growth economy in the Nordic countries.
A Source of Knowledge for Nordic Policy Makers
In his welcoming remarks, Nicolai Zarganis, Chairman of the Board of Nordic Energy Research, said he was proud to work in an organization built on vision, research collaboration and foresight.
“It is gratifying to be a part of Nordic Energy Research, which was started by people that were already able to identify the Nordic region’s unique strengths and possibilities in the energy sector 25 years ago,” Nicolai Zarganis said.
Director of the Nordic Council, Jan-Erik Enestam, highlighted Nordic Energy Research’s role as a source of information and knowledge for the Nordic policy makers. According to Enestam, this knowledge is the prerequisite for meeting the present environmental and economical challenges on a political level.
“Nordic Energy Research supplies the knowledge that makes it possible for us to make the right decisions to ensure that future generations will have access to renewable, zero-emission energy sources at a reasonable price,” Enestam said in his speech at the conference.
Opportunities Abound in the Global Market
One of the issues discussed at the conference was the importance of perceiving energy related policy and technology challenges as an opportunity for the Nordic countries. As Bo Ryden, editor of Nordic Energy Perspectives 2010, highlighted in his presentation, the region’s broad knowledge on renewable energy creates valuable export opportunities within the EU and in the rest of the world.
Lars Georg Jensen from the Danish Commission on Climate Change Policy identified motivational leadership as an area, where the Nordic collaboration could play an important role.
“We should assume leadership in starting to focus on the gains and possibilities in the transformation of our energy systems. This positive approach would accelerate the sustainable energy revolution already underway and thereby contribute to a stronger green growth economy in the Nordic countries,” says Lars Georg Jensen.
Research and Innovation for the Future
Green growth economy, innovation and public demand for sustainable energy solutions were central subjects in a panel discussion on the policy, research and technology challenges the Nordic energy sector is facing. Stefan Edman, an acknowledged Swedish environmental debater, chaired the discussion.
“There is great value added in common Nordic research on energy and climate issues. But like the experts in the panel pointed out, we need to ensure that our research and innovation within energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions reach the commercial market. Furthermore, we need to avoid the rebound-effect, where increased consumption eats up the effect of the green technology development,” says Stefan Edman.
The panel, which consisted of experts from across the energy sector, agreed that commitment from policy makers, researchers, innovative technology developers and large energy companies was important to secure stable access to renewable energy in the future. This is an issue of great social and economical importance, as half of the world’s demand for oil in 2030 is yet to be developed or found, as pointed out by Lars Georg Jensen during the discussion.
“It has to be possible and profitable to change the energy system. Our qualifications within renewable energy are strong and our environmental awareness works to our advantage. But we need political and economical incentive to be able to take the lead, which is why the continued support from the Nordic governments and large Nordic energy companies is essential,” says Ramon Wyss, Vice-President of KTH, the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology.
The Future of Nordic Energy Research
Anne Cathrine Gjærde, Director of Nordic Energy Research, explains that funding of research projects and PhD positions will remain the organization’s priority.
“Since the beginning, we have funded 315 PhD grants and created an extensive network in the energy research community in the Nordic region. This will remain our main focus but we will also aim to increase the interplay between different research areas, industry and policy makers. The research call ‘Sustainable Energy Systems 2050’, which was launched at the anniversary conference, reflects these objectives.”
According to Gjærde, the long-term perspective for the Nordic energy sector has to be backed up by immediate action.
“The research is at the beginning of the innovation chain and we therefore have to start our research efforts now to prepare for the future. Only by doing that can we achieve our vision towards 2050, which is to be a leading region for new sustainable energy solutions and well-functioning energy markets, says Anne Cathrine Gjærde.