ENMC meeting with Ricardo Renedo Williams, Policy Officer, Infrastructure and Regional Cooperation, DG ENERGY
The ENMC meeting with Ricardo Renedo Williams, Policy Officer, Infrastructure and Regional Cooperation took place on November 17 this year. at the headquarters of DG ENERGY, European Commission.
The European Green Deal put renewable energy at the heart of the clean energy transition. The current international tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the overall geopolitical context and the very high energy prices have exacerbated the need to accelerate energy efficiency and the deployment of renewable energy in the Union with the objective to phase out EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels – Ricardo Renedo Williams informed about the new document of the European Commission, Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION laying down a framework to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy (COM/2022/591 final), published on November 9, 2022.
The initiative complies with the proportionality principle. In view of the unprecedented geopolitical situation created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the continuous highly volatile energy prices and the need to ensure Europe’s energy security of supply for the upcoming winter season and throughout next year, there is a clear need for coordinated and urgent action to immediately accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources in addition to the actions proposed by the Commission as part of the REPowerEU plan of 18 May 2022.
Representatives of clusters cooperating within the European Network of Maritime Clusters informed about the renewable energy development policy in individual countries, in particular about the development of offshore wind energy. Among others, Spain, Italy and Poland have strategic plans focused on the development of wind energy.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a Polish scheme to support offshore wind technology. The measure will help Poland reach its renewable energy targets without unduly distorting competition. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “This Polish scheme is a very good example of how competition policy can enable Member States to support green energy projects, such as offshore wind farms. It gives the incentive to companies to invest in such green projects where they would otherwise not have invested. We hope that we will see many such initiatives in the future, which contribute to the EU’s Green Deal, without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market.”
The Baltic Maritime and Space Cluster has the potential to conduct research, education and production of zero-emission ships for offshore wind energy. There are companies in the Polish Maritime Cluster that can provide logistics, installation and service services.
The Maritime School in Gdynia has been training crews of ships servicing offshore marine installations for 20 years. The school trains installers of offshore wind farms who work in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and other waters around the European Union. Gdynia Maritime University educates managers on MBA studies. Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT) educates engineers at post-graduate studies. It has a highly specialized laboratory base that enables detailed and in-depth identification of many technical and organizational problems in the construction and operation of offshore wind farms. GUT has experience and didactic achievements in specialist as well as engineering and managerial training of staff of the broadly understood offshore wind energy sector.
Pentagon Helix Cluster
The Baltic Sea and Space Cluster is a continuation of activities undertaken by its members, who over 25 years ago took the initiative to establish a maritime cluster in Poland. During the period of economic transformation, it integrated the activities of leading maritime enterprises on innovative undertakings and new markets. As a result, in 2009 the leaders of the National Chamber of Maritime Economy established Polish Maritime Cluster.
After a short period of incubation and activities in the Triple Helix formula, the cluster through participation in international projects transformed into an organization operating in the Qudralupe Helix system.
– Today the cluster develops in the Pentagon Helix formula, integrating the transfer of knowledge between science and business, supporting social initiatives, local government and administration, developing investor relations, says Marek Grzybowski and explains that today the cluster’s activity is characterized by a holistic, integrative and global approach, making the activity of maritime industries part of Economy 4.0. – We owe our position also to the close cooperation with the Space Science Commission of the Gdańsk Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences. 4 conferences on space and maritime technologies, maritime and space law, economics and social sciences are organized jointly every year.
Within the „Cluster” there are currently six Hubs: ICT & AI, construction of zero-emission ships – ZEVInnovation, design and construction of installations producing green energy – GreenTech, scientific-research, legal-financial and educational. All hubs bring together around 60 companies, research centers and R&D units.
BALTIC ZEV INNOVATION HUB can produce zero-emission service ships for servicing wind farms and installation platforms for the construction of offshore wind farms. CRIST shipyard is the coordinator of the hub. Crist Shipyard offers innovative ships to its foreign contractors. There are often unique products. We have been building vessels, platforms and offshore constructions
BALTIC ZEV Innovation HUB operates as part of a project implemented with Norwegian funds ZEVInnovation HUB. BSSC, together with partners from Norway and Croatia, is developing cooperation to position zero-emission ships on European Union markets. ZEVinnovation is a transnational cooperation platform that supports development of innovative zero-emission vessels and related technologies. ZEVinnovation is commited to advancing transnational collaboration and bringing together a professional community interested in zero-emission technologies and preservation of our environment.
BSSC members have the potential to create simulators for training crews operating offshore wind farms using VR. Flint Systems produces VR training simulators and LKK, which trains specialists to operate service ships for offshore wind farms.
ZEVInnovation HUB has professional and experienced members from around the EEA. Connect with experts in your business activity area and secure your innovation potential with mentorship and guidance. ZEVInnovation HUB invites to demonstrate specific zero-emission technologies and dominate on the global market, and to learn through knowledge-sharing, innovation and internationalization of business in the EEA, and to explore and apply usable tools that tackle SME needs during the process of innovation and commercialization and strengthen your capitalization and sustainability potential.