VGB Congress "Power Plants 2004"

"Ensuring Investments - How can we fill the Generation Gap"

For the second time since 1964, Cologne, Germany’s fourth-biggest city, is once again the venue for the VGB “Power Plants” Congress. Located in the traditional energy state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), which stands for state-of-the-art power plant technology and electricity generation, Cologne provides an ideal setting for the motto of this year’s congress:

“Ensuring Investments - How can we fill the Generation Gap?”.

As at previous congresses, the main topic of the VGB “Power Plants 2004” Congress will be the question of how to cover the shortfall in capacity that is foreseeable in both the German and Europe-wide power generation industry. This topic has not been chosen because of any lack of alternative issues that need to be discussed. Rather, the state of debate in politics and society at both national and international level calls for undiminished focus on the key question of future electricity generation.

We are therefore especially pleased that Mr. Wolfgang Clement, the German Economics and Labour Minister, has agreed to assume the enspice for the congress, underlining the great importance that must be attached to the forthcoming infrastructural decisions arising from the enormous need for the replacement of power plants. Consequently, the presentations to the plenary sessions will be wholly concerned with the concrete possibilities offered by fossil and renewable energy generation technologies and the prospects for nuclear energy in Europe. The sections “Market and Competition” and “Technology, Operation and the Environment” will look into these questions in greater depth.

The core activity of VGB, namely to coordinate R&D projects for operators and manufacturers and initiate them, will be another key theme of the congress. Major research efforts will be needed in order to realise the available efficiency improvement potential of fossil power generation technologies with the aim of saving resources and reducing the environmental impact still further, and to develop renewable energy sources up to a level where they are cost-efficient. In this context, for example, VGB has, on behalf of the State of NRW and working jointly with operators, manufacturers and research institutes, conducted a feasibility study for a highly advanced hard coal-fired power station, the so-so-called “NRW Reference Power Plant”, and thus presented an excellent visiting card for state-of-the-art power generation technology based on hard coal.

In addition to the conference events, Cologne and the congress offer opportunities to view highly modern lignite-fuelled power generation facilities at the nearby Rhine-region lignite coal field. Apart from these practical working examples of modern power plant technology, an extensive programme of accompanying events is also planned, giving the congress participants the opportunity to see the city’s most famous sights, but also some which are less well-known. These include facets of Cologne’s rich cultural history, but also a visit to the German Aerospace Centre, with the training facility for the European astronauts in Cologne-Porz. So the VGB Congress 2004 in Cologne, with a mix of highly topical issues, discussions and dialogue, interesting visits and impressions of the fascinating cathedral city on the Rhine, offers an opportunity for both information and enjoyment.

We look forward to welcoming you and wish you an informative congress and a pleasant stay in Cologne.