Renewables, Nuclear, Coal and Gas – Technologies for a Low-carbon Future

Renewables, Nuclear, Coal and Gas - Technologies for a Low-carbon Future" is the motto of this year´s VGB Congress "Power Plants 2010" taking place in Essen with about 1,300 experts from 30 countries.

Essen/Germany, 22nd September 2010

Renewables, Nuclear, Coal and Gas - Technologies for a Low-carbon Future

  • 1,300 experts from 30 countries at VGB Congress "Power Plants 2010" in Essen

  • 90th anniversary of technical association for electricity and heat generation

"Renewables, Nuclear, Coal and Gas - Technologies for a Low-carbon Future" is the motto of this year´s VGB Congress "Power Plants 2010" taking place in Essen with about 1,300 experts from 30 countries. The largest European technical Congress for electricity and heat generation will deal from 22nd to 24th September 2010 with all requirements to be met by the construction and operation of power plants in a changing generation portfolio. The Congress is organised by VGB Power Tech e.V., the technical association for electricity and heat generation with currently 478 members from 34 nations.

The Congress participants, who came from all over the world, have the opportunity to discuss within the scope of the comprehensive Congress programme the future of electricity supply that will have to take into account and implement the ambitious requirements of society and politics. The focus is on the massive extension of renewable sources of energy and the implementation of possibly CO2-free electricity generation. In this connection it is a special challenge not to ask too much from industry and private consumers concerning electricity prices and at the same time keep supplies reliable and stable.

"It would be grossly negligent if we put at risk our very secure, reliable, environmentally-friendly and economically-efficient electricity supply in Europe that we have established over decades with great efforts", emphasized Prof. Dr. Gerd Jäger, Chairman of VGB PowerTech. This is not only decisive for Europe´s competiveness as industrial site, but also for the quality of life of our citizens. "Instead we have to strive for combining technological progress and development with cost efficiency. This is the only way to cope with the costly restructuring of the electricity sector and at the same time deriving benefits for the economies instead of being a large burden", continues Prof. Dr. Jäger. "If the European electricity industry achieves this target, it will be a in a leading position followed by other countries outside Europe."

VGB PowerTech is having an important part in the development of the necessary solutions for these challenges, because the international top association bundles all issues and expertise in connection with electricity and heat generation under one roof. Prof. Jäger declared: "It is important that we jointly make our voice heard with all our expertise in the debate about new energy concepts and that we will show feasible solutions for the integration of renewables, for new storage media or techniques for separating, storing and utilising separated CO2." This also comprises the establishment of a European infrastructure that combines the advantages of the different regions.

All participants agreed that any industrialised society - independent of the premises of climate policy -has equal requirements to be met by electricity supply: Energy must be secure, environmentally compatible and economically efficient. "We are facing great challenges. However, I am convinced that with the enormous competence and expertise of our branch we will make a considerable contribution towards solving the problems ahead", says the VGB Chairman.

This year VGB PowerTech is celebrating its 90th anniversary. By the end of November 1920 representatives of ten companies of the electricity and chemical industry met in Leuna - one of the most important chemical locations at that time - and set up the association then known as "Association of Large Boiler Owners". This was due to a severe boiler explosion that had happened in the Reisholz power plant/Düsseldorf. It was the joint objective to detect and eliminate quality deficits in all plants. In the following years VGB turned into an important association of electricity generating companies dealing with all important issues related to power plant operation from safety to economic efficiency up to topics of environmental and health protection and occupational safety. Since 1949 VGB has its domicile in Essen.

 

Contact:                VGB PowerTech e.V. - Press and Information

                               Dipl.-Ing. Christopher Weßelmann

                               Phone: +49 201 8128-300

                               Mobile: +49 173 93 900 92

                               E-Mail: pr@vgb.org