The Federal Republic of Germany yesterday received the COGEN Europe Recognition Award 2009 in the category “Policy Development”, recognising the Member State which recently has progressed most significantly in implementing policy in support of cogeneration. The Award Ceremony took place during COGEN Europe’s Annual Conference Dinner on 21 April in Brussels and the Policy Development Award was accepted by Manfred Schüller (CDU/CSU) and Jasmin Gassen (SPD) on behalf of the German Parliament.

Germany currently is leading in Europe in its active approach towards the promotion of cogeneration. It
has identified very significant potential to further extend the use of cogeneration within its energy
supply system and has launched an ambitious initiative aiming to double the share of cogenerated electricity to 25% of total electricity production by 2020, involving a massive expansion of capacity over the 21 GWe cogeneration currently installed.

The German National CHP Association B.KWK (Bundesverband Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung), representing the manufacturers and other actors engaged in the CHP sector, was also recognised in the same award category. Klaus Traube, Vice-President of the B.KWK, said “It is good to see that CHP is more and more recognised as an important element of a sustainable energy future. We hope that this award
is a lucid signal also to other governments in Europe and worldwide.”

The Initiative “KWK Modellstadt Berlin” received the Market Development Award for its broad information campaign about the advantages of cogeneration. The project is an initiative of the Berlin Energy Agency in cooperation with the Berlin government and the local energy suppliers GASAG and Vattenfall Europe.

The COGEN Europe Annual Conference is the world’s largest annual cogeneration event. The conference takes place on 21-22 April in Brussels and showcases the impressive range of applications for cogeneration and the huge benefits it brings to Europe in fuel efficiency and CO2 reduction. In a
year of huge financial challenge and serious concerns around energy security, the conference focuses on why cogeneration is an essential strategic choice for Europe.
For more information please contact:

COGEN Europe:
Fiona Riddoch, Managing Director
Tel: +32 2 772 8290
Email: fiona.riddoch@cogeneurope.eu
Stefan Craenen, Communication Manager
Tel: +32 2 772 8290
Email: stefan.craenen@cogeneurope.eu

B.KWK:
Adi Golbach, Managing Director
Tel: +49 30 4360 7910
Email: golbach@bkwk.de