Thematic scope

Discussions by leading European researchers – academics and local government officials will revolve around the question: Does cooperation in creating an energy modern distributed system pay off? Which organizational model to adopt: Energy Clusters or Energy Cooperatives? What will ensure the fastest growth of investment?

The pace at which the modern world is changing means that if we want to keep up with it, we must become increasingly creative and competitive. In almost every area of professional and social life, we strive for synergies, cooperate and seek solutions and new opportunities together with others, forming partnerships.

The discussion will cover the following topics:

Invited guests from the National Chamber of Energy and Renewable Energy Clusters will prove that it is partnerships that are fundamental today for the development and implementation of changes in the modern energy sector. Acting together, one can achieve more than individually, because they use more resources (human, material, financial), channels of communication and acquisition of information, and above all one has a broader, multi-faceted view of the problem, so they can develop customized solutions that meet the specific needs of distributed energy.

Discussions of leading European researchers – representatives of the world of science and local government officials will revolve around the natural basis for restoring and monitoring the ecosystems of urbanized large metropolises.

The aim of the panel is to discuss the schedule of actions that should be taken by local governments and entrepreneurs in order to systemically restore urban ecosystems that are a means of maintaining the GREEN SILESIA paradigm.

The topics of discussions will include the following issues:

The main task of the discussions is to integrate the scientific community, local government and entrepreneurs around the civilization challenges of the Region in which heaps of gangue as waste from the mining industry have been a permanent element of the Silesian landscape for over a hundred years.

Will heaps, a symbol of the Silesian landscape, also become an unconsciously valuable element of the mosaic of ecosystems, a habitat constituting the basis for the development of the richness of biodiversity? Will underground water settling tanks, playing a similar role in the urban-industrial landscape, and especially sinkholes filled with water, become an opportunity for the development of biodiversity of the Silesian landscape? How to permanently preserve the inanimate and animate resources of the natural heritage of Upper Silesia for many generations? We will answer these questions and many more during the Congress, which we invite you to participate in today – it’s really worth it.

The Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) using post-mining infrastructure will be the subject of a panel with local government officials, scientific units and entrepreneurs. Discussions will revolve around the possibility of using post-mining infrastructure for parallel energy storage in: pumped storage systems, compressed gas – air and CO2 systems, and thermal energy.

Participants of the panel will also discuss the following topics:

Distributed energy, based on installations with relatively small capacities, is the basis for the development of the local power engineering and gives the energy transition a participatory character. In addition to large business projects, much smaller entities can participate in the construction of a low-emission energy system by actively joining the energy transition process.

The Just Transition Mechanism is a key tool for ensuring that the transition to a climate-neutral economy takes place in an equitable manner, leaving no one without support. The mechanism provides targeted support to invest around 55 billion euros between 2021 and 2027 in the regions most affected by the negative socioeconomic impacts of the transition and reduce these impacts.

The Just Transition Mechanism helps mitigate the social, economic and natural impacts of the transition and focuses on the regions, industries and workers affected the most.

The mechanism is based on the following:

Panelists will discuss the contribution of local governments and local entrepreneurs to building local energy security. Ways to prepare proposals for project financing consisting of:

During the discussion, the persistent claim in the collective consciousness that the most favorable source of RES financing (in terms of cost) is aid funds from EU funds will be evaluated. We will look for the most attractive forms and possibilities of financing investments in the area of low- and so-called zero-emission energy for local governments, and consider reducing the emerging risks. We invite you to participate.

The WHC: water-hydrogen-coal project is a new initiative of the Bank of National Economy (BGK). The aim of the project is to support the world of science and business in the development of modern technologies used in industry, energy and medicine. Three resources – water, hydrogen and coal – properly used will change the Polish economy into a more innovative and competitive one. WHC is a long-term project to activate society, business, science and government. 3W is an action for sustainable development of the economy and society.

Water

As a source of life, but also an essential resource used in industry and power engineering, water is of great importance for the further development of new technologies. Skillful management of it will help us build technological capital. In Poland, there is an average of 1,600 m3 of water per capita – three times less than the average in Europe, so we need to take care of retention and drainage systems. It is very important to manage water resources wisely and thoughtfully in a rapidly changing climate. We need to work toward a modern, circular water economy.

Hydrogen

Climate change is also investing in modern and renewable energy sources. Hydrogen is poised to become the fuel of the future, and the whole world is entering a race to lead in the production of green, environmentally friendly hydrogen. In this race we have a chance to be a leader. Hydrogen valleys, wind farms that produce green hydrogen, hydrogen buses and trains are not at all a matter of the distant future. These are the things that are already happening.

Coal

We think of coal primarily as a fuel that pollutes our air when burned. BGK wants to support the use of non-energy coal in modern technologies. Its innovative applications can be found in medicine, pharmacology, cosmetology, or construction. Coal is also graphene and carbon nanotubes.

For the HWC initiative to succeed, cooperation between the worlds of science, business and administration is essential. BGK wants to take on the role of integrator of many circles to work for sustainable development and increasing the competitiveness of the Polish economy.

Does green transport have future in Poland? Experts, local government officials and entrepreneurs invited to the discussion will talk about the transformation of the public transport sector towards electromobility of Silesia.
The strategic partner of the panel is the Upper Silesia-Zagłębie Metropolis – the first metropolis in Poland to bring together 41 cities and municipalities with a total area of 2,500 square kilometers, with 2.3 million residents, 240,000 companies and enterprises, generating about 8% of Poland’s GDP.

Electric cars, hydrogen or electricity-powered buses, the pros and cons of green transportation, whether electromobility is actually green – these issues will be raised in the discussion by invited guests and listeners.

CO2 emission around the world is becoming an increasingly pressing problem. In the European Union alone, nearly 30% of the carbon dioxide emitted comes from transportation. Of this, more than 70% is road transportation. What can be done to reduce these numbers?

Specialists from the Electromobility Forum, Silesian University of Technology, AGH University of Krakow, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and the Metropolitan Transport Authority will speak about their perspective on the current state and development opportunities for green transport in Poland.

Green transportation is not a futuristic concept. In fact, electric cars were in use even before combustion cars were on the market. Ease of production, lower cost of ownership, and easy access to conventional fuels made it the combustion cars that became widespread around the world. Now there is a shift towards electromobility. More and more companies invest in so-called zero-emission cars, public institutions offer tools of financial support for beneficiaries interested in this branch of transportation, local governments introduce more “green” buses on city roads.

Implemented by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), the priority program called “Green Public Transport” supports the dissemination of green public transportation throughout Poland. Its main objective is to reduce the use of energy and emission fuels in urban public transportation, but also to create so-called “green mobility” among residents, which promotes the economic and social development of cities.

As part of the “Green Public Transport” program – will more and more Polish cities change their public transportation to green, zero-emission vehicles? Will electric or hydrogen buses replace previously used combustion buses on city transport lines? – we will find out during the discussion organized jointly with NFOŚiGW, we invite you to participate – it’s really worth it.

The following topics will be discussed during the panel: strategic challenges resulting from the transformation processes of mining regions and energy transformation processes, megatrends and changes taking place in the macro-environment, the future role of local governments and digital threats resulting from technological development in the area of modern energy.

The demands of today’s quest for so-called zero-emissions are a necessity for all companies that aspire to be socially responsible. The implementation of innovative technologies that can contribute to the eco-efficiency or reduction of transformation of the natural environment by companies is a necessity that applies to both corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises. One of the most important elements on the way to reducing the carbon footprint of activities, regardless of their size and scope, is the conscious use of electricity. The tool that undoubtedly facilitates this is energy storage.

Energy storage is increasingly perceived as a remedy for the lack of power from the grid and as a means of securing favorable energy prices in the long term for households and businesses.

Energy storage will not so much revolutionize the energy market as it will make it possible to create a new energy system. Without energy storage, it is impossible to change the energy system we know to a system based on renewable sources.

Without energy storage, there is no system based on renewable sources – modern power engineering requires the cooperation of local governments, entrepreneurs and financial institutions.

Increasing energy prices for entrepreneurs mean that many companies, that have been thriving so far, cannot cope with the costs that are several times higher, which they currently have to bear in order to function. The answer to the question: how to reduce this cost may be the purchase of an energy storage.

Analyzing the costs of energy supply with a contractual power of 500 kW without an energy storage and with an energy storage with a power of 250 kW and a capacity of 1000 kWh, we obtain yaerly savings in energy supply costs of PLN 650,000. PLN in a company working in two shifts and PLN 740,000 PLN in a company working three shifts. An investment in building an energy storage facility can therefore now pay for itself in seven years or less, depending on the price of the storage facility and dynamically changing energy costs.