46 CEOs and leaders of major companies and associations call for higher ambition on efficient power and heat generation through cogeneration
Date
Sections
11 October 2022
During their Annual Conference in Leuven (Belgium) on 11 October 2022, COGEN Europe – the European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration – presented the European Commission with an open letter signed by 46 CEOs and leaders representing the entire energy value chain. The letter calls for the prioritisation of efficient production of power and heat as part of locally integrated and diversified energy systems.
The energy and climate crises facing Europe will require a rapid and widespread deployment of all clean energy technologies to deliver on the European Green Deal and REPowerEU objectives. On Europe’s path to decarbonisation, cogeneration is one of the enabling solutions to ensure citizens, businesses and industries have access to clean, affordable and efficient energy today and in the future.
To deliver on REPowerEU and the EU Green Deal, industry CEOs and leaders are calling on policymakers to take concrete action to:
- Apply the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle
- Enable resilient and locally integrated energy systems
- Foster competitive, secure, and clean energy for industry
From left to right: Carl Richers - Vice President, INNIO; Enzo Losito Bellavigna - CEO, AB Energy; Hans van Steen - Principal Advisor, European Commission (DG Energy); Hans Holmström - Managing Director, Siemens Energy; Vladimír Hlavinka - CEO, TEDOM; Marco Golinelli - President, ITALCOGEN; Yavuz Aydin - Chairman, Kojen Turk; Julio Artiñano - President, COGEN Spain; Javier Rodríguez Morales - Director General, ACOGEN. (Photo: COGEN Europe 2022)
“As Europe faces an unprecedented crisis, the cogeneration sector is coming together to show ambition and solidarity,” said Marco Pezzaglia, Gruppo Professionale Energia’s CEO and Chair of COGEN Europe. “Energy efficiency must be prioritised now and in the long-term, while ensuring citizens, businesses and industry have access to reliable, affordable and clean energy.”
"With this open letter, CEOs and industry associations are showing their commitment to delivering on REPowerEU and the EU Green Deal and calling on EU leaders to increase ambition on energy efficiency as part of integrated energy systems at local level." added Mr Pezzaglia.
The Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Cristian Bușoi, also addressed COGEN Europe's Conference. “Now more than ever it is important to stop wasting energy, reduce our demand but also produce energy in the most efficient way possible," he stated. "This is why I salute the call launched today by COGEN Europe for prioritizing efficient power and heat production.”
Cogeneration already provides 12% of the electricity and 16% of the heat used in European homes, industry and district heating. It delivers energy savings of around 30 bcm per year, of which 15 bcm are directly linked to natural gas savings. In the long-term, cogeneration solutions will continue empowering consumers and delivering important energy savings, while also increasingly contributing towards energy system resiliency.