China: Rewarding forum on energy transition held in Suzhou brings insightful outcomes for key actors on the global energy scene
Morten Bæk, Director General of the Danish Energy Agency (DEA), was in prominent company at the International Forum on Energy Transition in China 5-7 November. The impressive and thought-through event was hosted by the National Energy Administration (NEA) of China and well-reputed International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and served as an international platform for ministers, high-profile government officials, experts and key company directors within the energy sector.
The well-planned roundtable sessions and keynote speeches resulted in a broad range of shared experiences, trend-analyses within energy technology, energy policy and models, and not least, interesting discussions of the challenges and opportunities regarding the forthcoming Chinese energy revolution presented by the president of the Republic of China, Xi Jinping back in 2014.
Mr. Morten Bæk was delighted to give a keynote speech alongside Nur Bekri, Administrator of NEA, Adnan Z. Amin, Director General of IRENA, and Rainer Baake, Secretary of State for the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The speeches were presented to around 1000 colleagues from some of the most prominent organizations in the field of energy. The lessons learned from Denmark and the Danish success of having a security of supply of 99.9 % while 39 % of electricity consumption came from wind energy, are highly applicable in a Chinese context.
Three focal points of the successful Danish energy transition were emphasized: The development and implementation of renewable energy; combined heat and power production (CHP) and increased energy efficiency.
"The conference served as yet another testament to China’s willingness to engage in the global energy transition - and interest in what we’ve learned in Denmark over the past 40 years. We are honoured to be part of this process” - Morten Bæk, Director General of the DEA
The DEA cooperates with China across a range of areas, but the most prominent achievement in the cooperation program is the establishment of the China National Renewable Energy Centre (CNREC), which provides decision makers in China with state-of-the-art scenario analyses inspired by the integrated and holistic Danish approach.
At the conference, CNREC officially launched a new joint study in collaboration with the Energy Research Institute (ERI) of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which includes a thorough lay-up of the green energy transition based on the very ambitious scenario-study on 60 % renewable energy in 2050 and a peek of GHG in 2025. The report is to be seen as input to the ongoing debate about the 13th Five Year Plan and it thereby manifests CNRECs position as an important stakeholder with regards to the development of RE in China. All in all an interesting and inspiring read that clearly acknowledges the 2050 scenario studies, which is produced in collaboration with Danish experts.
For this research the DEA is continuing to allocate resources to CNREC under the project also sponsored by Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, in close collaboration with the U.S. National Renewable Energy Centre (NREL).
Seeking to further strengthen the already thriving relationship with the Chinese government, the DEA took home a constructive, professional and, not least, encouraging exchange of insights concerning the energy transition of maybe the world’s most important energy sector.
A pamphlet of the Danish energy model was published in Chinese and English for the occasion.
About Danish-Chinese cooperation , Information materials on China
Mr. Bæk's keynote speech, ERI/CNREC report, Pamphlet on the Danish Energy Model
Anders Brix Thomsen
Fuldmægtig
Center for Global Rådgivning og Forhandling
Tlf.: 33 92 66 89
ABT@ens.dk