The venue is opened for participants. Entrance through gate no. 18.
08:45 - 09:00
1. Welcome
Welcome
At the beginning of the conference, Mr. Jozef Síkela, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic and Helena Langšádlová, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, will welcome all the distinguished guests of the conference, speakers as well as the audience.
Helena Langšádlová, Minister of Science, Research and Innovation of the Czech Republic
Jozef Síkela, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
09:00 - 10:00
2. High level panel
A new clean energy research and innovation agenda
Climate change and the energy crisis provoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine make it imperative for the EU and the other SET Plan countries to accelerate their energy transition, including by stepping up their research and innovation efforts in clean energy solutions. After 15 years of operation and a last update in 2015, the SET Plan must be revised to make it fit for the new political context. The future SET Plan needs to deliver on the objectives of the European Green Deal and REPowerEU through stronger synergies between national, industrial and European energy R&I efforts. Over the last year, the European Commission has gathered opinions and ideas from the entire SET Plan Community to review the objectives, governance, scope, and activities of the SET Plan. The aim of the session is to introduce the revamping process of the SET Plan, in the broader context of the new European Innovation Agenda and the new European Research Area. This discussion will offer you the possibility to reflect about the main findings and pressing needs such as finding and exploiting synergies between R&I strategies and the innovation landscape at national, European and international level.
Mechthild Wörsdörfer (moderator), Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy (DG Energy)
10:00 - 10:30
Coffee break/networking
Coffee break
10:30 - 11:30
3. High level panel
The role of the SET Plan
There are many challenges on the way to a truly decarbonised and resilient energy sector and overall economy. Since its inception, the SET Plan has played a key role in formulating research priorities for the relevant technologies, coordinating R&I agendas and goals, pooling national resources, and underpinning the allocation of funds through the EU R&I framework programmes. Among the important instruments resulting from the SET Plan are the newly established European Partnerships, in particular the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP), which fosters transnational innovation ecosystems from the local and regional level, up to the transnational European level, thus overcoming a fragmented European landscape. This panel will take stock of the SET Plan results, reflect about the European Partnerships and show how some SET Plan activities evolved into new initiatives such as the Cities Mission. Given the current energy crisis, it will also look at the SET Plan’s role in delivering the REPowerEU Plan and in unlocking the potential of new technologies and processes with direct benefits for final consumers who are currently facing all-time high-energy prices (individuals as well as companies).
Luisa Revilla, Co-chair of the IWG Concentrated Solar Thermal technologies
Lut Bollen, Policy advisor of the Flemish government
Jiří Plešek (moderator), Academy Council of the Czech Academy of Sciences
11:30 - 12:30
4. Session
International cooperation in R&D in energy
The 2021 “Communication on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation” called for an open R&I environment based on common fundamental rules and values, as well for the principle of reciprocity and a level-playing field in R&I international cooperation. The 2022 “EU external energy engagement in a changing world” communication urged the mobilization of like-minded countries to join research and innovation efforts, and the increase and diversification of the trade of critical raw materials in order to develop the needed technologies. Creating the framework for sustained and beneficial collaboration from both sides, EU and non-EU, is thus important. Examples of current framework like Mission Innovation, Clean Energy Ministerial, Breakthrough Agenda, and the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue will be presented. The session will present examples of collaboration framework and running collaborative projects that will show their experiences. The session will also reflect on what the SET Plan can bring, and benefit from, beyond its participating countries.
Decentralized low carbon sources and enablers allowing consumer engagement
Driven by the development of renewable energy technologies, the need to reach climate neutrality and the growing need for energy autonomy, a decentralised energy model is the future for energy networks, in particular electricity. The centralized energy model based on large fossil-fuel combustion power plants with grid distribution is now facing new decentralized competition, mainly driven by two technological changes: the widespread development of renewable energy technologies and the emergence of smart grids and demand-response management. This session will focus on the renewable and decentralisation technologies available for consumers and on how the R&I helps to make packages of integrated technologies interesting for consumers. Apart from self-consumption and prosumer engagement, energy decentralization can be based on powerful community logic. Therefore, the session will also look into consumer engagement to meet specific local needs.
Angèle Reinders, Professor of Design of Sustainable Energy Systems at Eindhoven University of Technology
Michael Hübner, Co-chairman of SET-Plan Action 4 Member States Working Group
Tomáš Manosoglu, Senior project manager, Business Development, EG.D a.s.
Hélène Chraye (moderator), Head of Unit Clean Energy Transition, Directorate Clean Planet, DG Research and Innovation
14:15 - 15:45
5b Thematic parallel session
Cutting Industry emissions through energy efficiency & integration of renewables
The European Green Deal has set the objective for the EU to become the first climate neutral economy by 2050, which translates for the industrial sector in a greenhouse gases emissions reduction target of 80 to 95%. The REPowerEU plan further aims to reduce the EU dependency on fossil fuel imports. The contribution of the industry will be therefore essential as it represents 21% of greenhouse gases emissions in the EU, with special focus on heat, as 60% of the energy use in industry is for producing heat, mainly using fossil fuels. As industries are severely hit by the high-energy prices, the need to reduce their energy use and to recover their waste heat has become ever more pressing. This session will explore how to improve energy efficiency, reduce fossil fuel use and related emissions, by:
Integrating more renewable heat sources and thermal storage;
Ambient or excess heat recovery, upgrade and reuse, or conversion to electricity to meet heat needs in industry in the most sustainable and cost-effective way.
Eric Lecomte (moderator), Policy Officer at DG Energy, European Commission
14:15 - 16:00
5c Thematic parallel session
Research & Innovation in a lifecycle of a building
The aim of the session is to address sustainability in the context of building retrofits, innovative technologies in buildings and the role of buildings in the decarbonisation of our economies. The session will cover the entire lifecycle of buildings focusing on three distinct stages: the planning and construction phase, the operation phase, and the renovation phase. Carbon footprint of buildings as well as the role of customers in the given stages and the examples of work of the Implementation Working Group on Buildings will complement the lifecycle approach.
The session will be kicked off by a representative of Built4People, the co-programmed partnership on buildings under Horizon Europe, which aims to generate innovation in the construction sector towards sustainability and decarbonisation of the building stock but also to induce behaviour changes towards sustainable living. The first phase will be covered by a representative of the Czech Technical University in Prague, who will look into sustainable building materials and construction methods. A representative of the Implementation Working Group on Positive Energy Districts will focus on behavioural aspects of dwellings and demonstrate some R&I results that optimise building operations such as, among others, building management systems, predictive controllers, interconnected buildings, demand response or decentralised RES production. The renovation phase will be mostly covered by a representative of the project Energiesprong, whose team has an extensive experience with buildings’ retrofits. In particular, their representative will mainly focus on barriers preventing effective building renovations and ways of tackling them.
Paul Cartuyvels, International Affairs Managing Director of Bouygues Europe & President of European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP)
Sebastien Delpont, Director of EnergieSprong France & Associate Director GreenFlex
Martin Volf, Head of Research Department Architecture and the Environment, CVUT-UCEEB
Hans-Günther Schwarz, Strategic Programme Coordinator for Research on Energy and Urban Technologies at Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, Austria
Generating skills and jobs for the twin transition
The green-digital twin transition requires updated, new skill sets across the economy. The green and digital transitions reinforce each other and their relationship should be further discussed. Future-proof jobs and skills are one of the areas through which the European Green Deal is to improve the well-being and health of citizens and future generations. At the same time, sufficient workforce with adequate skills sets has been identified as a significant current bottleneck of the clean energy transition. The session aims to explore how coordinated skills policy can help overcome these challenges. Requirements and areas of actions for having successful green & digital transitions have to be thoroughly explored.
Julie Beaufils, Secretary General of EuropeOn, the European electrical contractors’ association
Veronika Kramaříková, Vice-rector for Development and Strategy at Czech Technical University
Celia García-Baños, Programme Officer for Policy, Gender and Socioeconomics at IRENA
Dan Stefanica, Head of EU Projects at the European Heat Pump Association
Adel El Gammal (moderator), Secretary General of the European Energy Research Alliance
16:15 - 17:15
6b Parallel session on cross-cutting areas
Digitalisation and Smart grids (smart metering, demand side management, flexibility)
As we decarbonise our energy system, it is becoming more and more electrified, decentralised, and fed with an increasing share of intermittent renewable energy sources. Digital technologies will play an increasing role in the energy sector, especially to enable flexibility and demand-side management services. Those will support the integration of decentralised renewable energy by promoting data sharing in a smarter and interactive electricity grid, which must also be more resilient and secure. The twinning of both, digitalisation and the energy sector, is the way forward and is at the centre of the energy transition.
To speed up innovation and the integration of digital solutions in the energy market, the EU’s Action plan for the digitalisation of the energy sector announced the creation of a platform for structural cooperation gathering energy and digital innovators from across the EU. Such a platform will engage European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) and the Artificial Intelligence Testing and Experimentation Facilities (AI TEF) established under the Digital Europe Programme that focus on energy, and the networks of innovators and research institutions in the energy sector.
This session will bring parties together to explore the challenges of the local and regional innovation environments and start shaping the work ahead, in the context of the SET Plan revision.
Elena Boskov-Kovacs, Chair of ETIP SNET Digitalisation of the electricity system WG
Vincent Berrutto (moderator), Head of Unit responsible for innovation, research, digitalisation, and competitiveness at the Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
16:15 - 17:15
6c Parallel session on cross-cutting areas
Integration of renewables and storage for space heating & cooling
Energy used for heating buildings can represent up to 50% of total energy consumption, while energy demand for cooling is continuously growing, also due to climate change. In spite of these facts, heating and cooling are sectors where renewable energy still does not achieve significant generation shares. The session will focus on the integration of variable renewable (heat and/or electricity) sources together with (thermal and/or electrical) storage, in order to better meet the heating needs of people at an affordable cost.
Patrick Clerens, Secretary General of The European Association for Storage of Energy
Wim van Helden, Head of Technology Development at AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies, Austria
Gerdi Breembroek, Chair of the working group on Geothermal energy, SET Plan
Michele de Nigris, Director Sustainable Development and Energy Sources at RSE
Paul Cartuyvels (moderator), International Affairs Managing Director of Bouygues Europe & President of European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP)
17:30 - 18:30
7. Session
Nuclear for safe, resilient and sustainable energy system (applications of nuclear technology, fossil free heat, accident tolerant fuel)
Replacing the EU’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels will require a massive scale-up in decarbonised electricity in power generation and decarbonized heat in industry, buildings and transport. Nuclear energy can ensure resilience and security of supply to a transmission system powered mainly by renewable energy sources. The session will include potential synergies of nuclear energy with the needs of industry and district heating systems, including a comparison of LCA and CO2 production between energy sources, the capacity needs of industry and district heating systems, and the potential of nuclear energy deployment to support industrial energy with district heating systems. Cross-sectorial and heat applications will be complemented by a presentation of an innovative nuclear fuel designed to minimize the potential impact of accidents.
The venue is opened for participants. Entrance through gate no. 18
09:00 - 10:00
8a Thematic parallel session
Going beyond the mainstream uses of renewable energy
What is needed to fulfil our 2030 and 2050 targets in terms of sustainability, circularity and resource efficiency is not only the improvement of technology but also developing new innovative uses, multiple renewable source integration, small-scale and in situ applications. The session will challenge the panellists on how their respective technologies could be for example adapted for using local resources at small scale, having in situ renewable generation feeding into industrial processes, integrating the generation of renewable energy at the point where it is needed, etc... The panel discussion will address how to catch these ideas, nurture them to maturity and help them entering the markets.
Dominik Rutz, Chair of the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Renewable Heating and Cooling (ETIP RHC) and Head of Unit for Bioenergy and Bioeconomy at WIP Renewable Energies
Tomas Kåberger, Director, Energy Area of Advance and Professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers University of Technology
Adrian Timbus, Chairman of ETIPWind and Vice President of Portfolio and Strategic Marketing at Hitachi Energy
Martina Lyons (moderator), Associate Programme Officer – Innovation and End use sectors at International Renewable Energy Agency
09:00 - 10:00
8b Thematic parallel session
Hydrogen: the future is already here, and so are its challenges
Hydrogen is a game changer for the energy transition: the most abundant chemical element in the universe will allow decarbonisation of transport and of hard-to-abate sectors, while mitigating the intermittence of renewable energy sources. Since landlocked countries have limitations in production of renewable hydrogen, we need to explore other options to produce low-carbon hydrogen. Also, the long-distance transport of hydrogen is a challenge, as large amounts of hydrogen will need to be imported to the EU either via pipelines or shipping. The coordination of R&I activities on hydrogen among all the relevant actors is essential to ensure an efficient and coherent development of the sector. The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking was officialised in November 2021, bringing together the European Commission, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research to produce noticeable, quantifiable results towards the development and scaling up of hydrogen applications. Moreover, in 2021, 25 member states, five third countries and the European Commission formed a taskforce and jointly launched a pilot agenda process on green hydrogen, under the European Research Area, and also developed a joint Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for a sustainable European hydrogen economy. The initiative now enters the implementation phase, with actions to facilitate data sharing, developing test beds, a hydrogen skills agenda, and a network of hydrogen valleys across Europe.
Paulo Partidário, Head of Research and Renewables Unit at Directorate General for Energy and Geology
Petr Mervart (moderator), Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Industry and Trade for Hydrogen Technologies, Ministry of Industry and Trade
09:00 - 10:00
8c Thematic parallel session
CCUS: enablers, challenges and potential
The year 2021 has seen unprecedented advances for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies. According to the IEA, more than 100 new CCUS facilities have been announced and the global project pipeline for CO2 capture capacity is on track to quadruple. Yet, previous hopes that CCUS was about to fulfil its potential eventually faded. The deployment of the technology in Europe is still in its early stages, with the majority of mature projects in Northern and North-Western Europe.
All the main scenarios, which model the fulfilment of carbon neutrality goal on EU level by 2050, count on the deployment CCUS technologies, in particular in hard to abate industrial sectors. The role of this technology under the SET Plan is also recognized by the existence of a CCUS dedicated Implementation Working Group. What does the community need to continue doing or to do differently this time for CCUS to finally take off on a larger scale? In light of the upcoming Communication on the new SET Plan, this question will spark the discussion of our speakers to provide the perspective of industry, academia and government to make the new SET Plan an even bigger success.
Lamberto Eldering (moderator), Business Developer for Low Carbon Solutions in Equinor
10:00 - 11:00
9a Thematic parallel session
From lab to market: accelerating the market uptake of technologies
While the 2030 climate and energy targets should be reached using existing and mature renewable energy technologies, half of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions required by 2050 will be achieved by technologies that are not yet on the market. Accelerating the transfer from the lab to the market is paramount to speed up the energy transition. However, while Europe is a front runner in clean energy research and innovation, it trails other regions of the world when it comes to scaling up its innovations. This session will discuss the existing barriers and some concrete solutions and programmes. Recommendations will be drawn for the future of the SET Plan.
Donagh Cagney, Policy Director at Ocean Energy Europe
Christian Kjaer, Chief Public Affairs Officer, SuperNode Ltd. and Vice Chair, CurrENT
Antonio Pantaleo, EIC Programme Manager for energy systems and green technologies
Araceli Fernandez, Head of the Technology and Innovation Unit at IEA
Hélène Chraye (moderator), Head of Unit Clean Energy Transition, Directorate Clean Planet, DG Research and Innovation
10:00 - 11:00
9b Thematic parallel session
Towards a sustainable European battery industry
Batteries are and will be playing a crucial role in the transition towards a low-carbon energy and mobility systems. This requires the deployment of hundreds of GWh of batteries in Europe per year; however, it is not only about one technology and one solution. Europe currently strongly depends on third countries for sourcing and refining of required raw materials, as well as for battery production equipment. Struggling with many limits, which were slowing down the fast development of the whole RES industry, there has been a lot of focus on overcoming those limits, extending the capacity, decreasing the size, and using less scarce and broadly available materials. Yet, there is still a way to go in developing batteries as a part of a decentralised system these days, mainly in the sector of buildings and industry.
The development of a sustainable European battery industry is therefore of utmost importance, which is supported by two waves of Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI). The cell production capacity in Europe is growing steadily, also supported by the strong position of European players in electric vehicles and storage systems. The future Batteries Regulation can help Europe becoming a world leader in sustainable batteries, by supporting circularity and addressing other aspects over the whole supply chain. The session is aimed at giving a holistic vision on where we should go from here.
Michael Lippert, Chairman of the Board, Batteries Europe and BEPA
Thilo Bein, Technical Advisor BEPA/Batteries Europe WG 5 Application and Integration: Mobile
Matthias Bruchhausen (moderator), Team and Project Leader, Hydrogen and Batteries Unit at JRC, European Commission
10:00 - 11:00
9c Thematic parallel session
Resilient supply chains for clean energy solutions
The acceleration of the green transition, notably as specified in the REPowerEU Action Plan as a response to the climate crisis and the EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels, is presently more crucial and urgent than ever. The ambitious targets of the Plan for boosting the deployment of renewables, mainly wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV), hydrogen production, and e-mobility, pose significant challenges related to the current and future availability of materials, the associated risks of supply disruptions due to concentration of suppliers, and the resilience of the relevant supply chains. Various analyses forecast a huge increase by 2050 in the demand of strategic raw/processed materials and components for the clean energy technologies, whose sourcing and processing is concentrated in countries outside Europe, notably China but not exclusively. At the same time, the recent disruptions and shortages of components have clearly demonstrated the need for resilience in the clean energy supply chains.
Research and innovation can offer a lot in making the supply chains more resilient: Innovative solutions are needed throughout the complete supply chain of the clean energy technologies. They can contribute to more efficient and sustainable use of resources; reduced dependency on foreign countries for the processing of materials and production of components; increased recyclability and circular economy; waste recovery; substitution and innovative design. This session aims exactly at discussing these opportunities and needs and at formulating a common holistic view of the role that research and innovation should play in resilient clean energy supply chains.
Christoph Hünnekes, Head of Photovoltaics at Project Management Jülich (PtJ), Energy System: Renewable Energies / Power Plant Technology Division
Vangelis Tzimas (moderator), Head of the ‘Knowledge for the Energy Union’ Unit, European Commision
11:00 - 11:30
Coffee break/networking
Coffee break
11:30 - 12:30
10. Session
The role of youth in the energy transition
The year 2022 is the Year of Youth in the EU and young scientists and PhD students are invited to the SET Plan Conference and contribute to the discussion from the students’ and young professionals' point of view. Mainly current topics such as meaningful youth engagement in the twin green and digital transition and how to foster connection between youth and professionals involved in the energy field will be discussed, which will respect the framework of the conference and complement it with the perspective of young and talented scientists. The session will revolve around the possible collaboration between the SET Plan and the European youth energy organisations and young innovators / entrepreneurs. This panel is particularly important because of the future perspectives of energy transformation and economic development in the coming decades. The latter depends in particular on quality access to young researchers and their involvement in science and research in energy as a whole. The development and deployment of clean energy entails more than just technological advancement. The transition will require the involvement and support of the younger generation as an essential component in order to increase acceptancy and trust in the clean energy technologies needed to achieve REPowerEU objectives.
Paula Pinho, Director for Just Transition, Consumers, Energy Efficiency and Innovation in the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER)
Eleonora Cherubini, President of YES-Europe (Young leaders in Energy and Sustainability)
Luciana Miu, Found of the European Youth Energy Network and Head of Clean Economy at the Energy Policy Group
Miroslav Hala, Member of the board of the Student Chamber of the Council of Higher Education Institutions and PhD candidate at the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
Agnieszka Rządkowska, Energy policy researcher and Co-founder of the European Solar Network
Johannes Stangl (moderator), Founding member of the Fridays For Future movement in Vienna
12:30 - 13:00
Session
Closing Session
At the end of the conference, the Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Síkela and the Commissioner Ms. Simson will give a closing speech. The key points discussed at the conference, as well as the strength of the SET Plan and its further role in the global energy transition will be emphasized.
This Side Event aims to share experience, to allow cross-fertilisation of ideas and reinforce interaction across the different IWGs, in one sub-area of area 2: Integration of high temperature renewable heat sources and storage in industrial applications. The aims of the session are to: present concrete European and National projects, so as to share knowledge across; hold a moderated discussion on the examples presented;identify where should European R&I go next considering.
