© Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities
The 19th edition of the SET Plan Conference (“Strategic Energy Technologies for a Competitive, Secure and Sustainable Europe” was held in Odense, Denmark, on 4 and 5 November. The event, co-organised by the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities and the European Commission, brought together high-level policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and academia.
The conference opened with a keynote speech from Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen, who focused on the vital need for energy security; he spoke of the ongoing Russian threat which makes the need to eliminate dependencies more pressing. His themes laid the groundwork for the conference:
- Energy resilience – Enhancing the role of critical energy technologies in a resilience perspective
- Competitiveness – Industry in Europe cannot compete on a global level; Europe needs affordable, home-grown energy solutions to remain competitive.
- Manufacturing – Europe’s competitiveness and leadership is based on a home-grown energy supply (with critical raw materials) and manufacturing
The Conference included numerous panel discussions over the two-day period, highlighting important priorities in the SET Plan. One of these priorities is innovation at scale, as well as avoiding fragmentation in R&I. Other discussions centred around the need to simplify processes and prioritise access to market, as well as increased coordination and dialogue between government, industry, and the public. In terms of industry, the industrial transformation of energy-intensive sectors requires tailored approaches, including electrification and sector coupling. The prominent takeaway from the event was the fact that Europe must act boldly and align innovation, policy, and investment to lead the clean energy transition.
Energy storage and grid modernisation (particularly via AI/digital tools) were also central topics to emphasise a more flexible and resilient energy system. Dr. Nadine May, Chair of the IWG on Hydrogen, participated in the “Future of Energy Storage” session which focused on the future of energy storage technologies—from batteries to hydrogen and thermal systems. In introducing the panel, Vincent Berrutto (European Commission, DG Energy), the moderator of the session, stressed that energy storage has not been developing fast enough, and that a holistic, smart energy systems approach is needed for the energy transition. In her remarks, Dr. May cautioned against the risk of greenwashing and noted the need to set realistic EU targets in line with our energy goals. She further stressed the need to support pathways to national targets as a contribution to EU targets. All panelists reiterated the benefits of integration; costs can be significantly reduced when projects are integrated. Finally, hydrogen valleys were highlighted as an important step for the hydrogen sector; Member State should have a hydrogen valley to be part of the energy transition.
