New Energy Partnering Congress (NEPC) 2012 Boosting Renewable Power Generation
The NEPC investor platform for renewable energy projects has been a resounding success: For two days, the event has been assembling more than 100 representatives of Europe’s energy industry above Lake Zurich, introducing them to projects that had a sum up capacity of more than 3 nuclear power plants.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s feasible.” That is not only the gist of Switzerland’s federal council and parliament discussing a nuclear phase-out, it is also the positive attitude prevalent among roughly 100 energy suppliers, institutional investors and power plant builders from all over Europe. On May 31 and June 1, they met at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue in Rüschlikon (Switzerland) in order to negotiate investments and interests in renewable energy facilities. In addition to a series of presentations and workshops, the two-day event hosted around 260 individual meetings between project developers and investors.
Capital committed to innovation
The investor summit allowed renowned project developers such as E.ON, wpd, Dong Energy Wind Power, Global Wind Power and NurE-nergie to meet energy suppliers such as Axpo, EKZ, EGL, ewz and WWZ, giving investors a chance to make both direct and portfolio in-vestments in wind, solar or geothermal power projects all over Europe. Total capital commitment required by projects presented at the event amounted to 1 bn. Euro.
Among numerous innovative projects, three stood out above all: For one, a solar power tower in the Tunisian desert meant to supply power to Central Italy by way of a low-loss submarine transmission line, replacing two nuclear power plants in the process. Furthermore, experts were also presented with exciting details on a large-scale wind farm in Poland and geothermal project with a depth of 5000 meters in Germany.
What’s next after the buyback price?
Participants also discussed emerging markets and new project financing models. Sweden and Norway in particular might become role models for establishing a new political framework: Since early this year, the two countries have been operating a joint market for renewable energy certificates. Energy suppliers must increase the share of green power in their energy mix on an annual basis. With the framework predictable for all players involved, energy suppliers and other investors will invest in new power plants.
In contrast to the previous system based on feed-in-tarifs, this new system shifts the incentive for extending the renewable energy supply to marketableenergy certificates. And the new free-market model has already been emulated in switzerland. To name just one example, ÖkostrombörseSchweiz—a web-based Swiss marketplace for green power—went online a few weeks ago in order to offer an alternative to this country’s customary capped funding for renewable energies.
Given the high demand for scheduled individual meetings between decision-makers and the progress made advancing project plans, EnergieZukunftSchweiz is very pleased with the outcome of the event it organized—and happy to announce that the New Energy Partnering Congress will boost renewable power generation once again next year.
Partner:
Kontakt:
Energie Zukunft Schweiz
Elio Popolo
Telefon: +41 (0) 61 500 18 01
Mobile: +41 (0) 77 468 15 58
E-Mail: e.popolo@energiezukunftschweiz.ch
www.nepc.ch
www.energiezukunftschweiz.ch
