The people implementing the energy transition

Thursday’s conference was dominated by ambitious objectives for the future. This is because a carbon-neutral economic system by 2040 would require all fossil processes to be converted to renewable energy, and electricity demand will rise massively. It’s not an easy starting point, but we are determined to drive the transition to clean energy consistently.

Full programme on day two

On 28 September, the focus was not only on the digitalisation and decarbonisation process, but also on green hydrogen as a game changer for the transition to clean energy. The afternoon began with further keynotes on the topics of data and sustainability.

But a sense of optimism soon began to prevail. The INSPIRE hike gave participants the opportunity to explore the idyllic mountain scenery of Salzkammergut, make new contacts, and hold a wide range of technical discussions as equals.

In a nutshell: The second day of the conference

On 28 September, numerous insights were gained by both participants and speakers. It became clear as early as the morning of the second day of the conference that we need to think bigger together and look to the future. As a community, we need to clearly state our goals and consistently implement our intentions 

On stage are Philipp Blom, the presenter, Michael Strugl and Marc Elsberg. In the foreground we see the audience's rear views.
Other highlights

During his opening keynote, Philipp Blom emphasised the absence of future scenarios and analysed an unusual form of hope: “We don’t have any realistic future scenarios – that’s not enough! A democracy that no longer looks to the future will crumble. We must not be a society that gives up hope.”

Bestselling author Marc Elsberg also explained the significance of ideas and their stories. He said, “When we start making changes, we need ideas about what the future should look like. But we also need to be able to express these ideas in a way that the world understands.”

As VERBUND CEO Michael Strugl summed it up: :“It is not scepticism that fuels the transition to clean energy, but confidence.”

We see several people sitting on the stage. They are holding a panel discussion. There are six of them in total.

During the green hydrogen roundtable, the experts explained that the success of the transition to clean energy largely depends on building an economy in which climate-neutral hydrogen is available in sufficient quantities.

Linda Kirchberger (Wien Energie) explained: “We need to take a look abroad without just relying on a few supplier regions. And we need storage. As part of a collaboration, including with VERBUND, we have started trying to use hydrogen in our power plants.”

Hamead Ahrary (VERBUND AG) specified: “The hydrogen economy is a partner project that we need to synchronise and orchestrate well.”

Following presentations also underscored the importance of transitioning to a more agile and flexible energy supply. 

COO Achim Kaspar is in conversation with the presenter. Both are sitting on the stage. We see the audience from behind.

Daniel Böhmer, senior analyst at Aurora Energy Research, clarified: “Energy storage systems are essential for implementing and accelerating the transition to clean energy. We are already seeing serious pressure on our power grids. Strong grids and storage technologies offer greater flexibility.”

Werner Brandauer from SIEMENS then discussed how using and analysing data can support the transition to clean energy. A successful energy transition needs intelligent grids. Speed and agility will be key.

VERBUND COO Achim Kaspar narrowed down the topic: “Transformation has been a constant throughout VERBUND’s history.”

We look back on a panel discussion with five people on the inspire stage.

In the first roundtable of the afternoon, Berit Hinnemann (CTO at Green2x), Anna Pachinger (manager of Communications, Public Affairs and Corporate Responsibility at Austrian Airlines), Andreas Renner (head of Policy and Government Affairs at EnBW AG) and Sabine Schellander (co-head of Sustainability at Greiner AG) discussed how sustainability is put into practice in different industries. Some key facts: 

  • Question: How will risks be borne and shared in the future when it comes to implementing projects?
  • Fact: Flying is too cheap at the moment, and a real price needs to be put on carbon.
  •   On the topic of circular economy: the big problem is that many products (at Greiner) are burned after use and are not reprocessed.
  • Switching from coal-fired power plants to gas means 40% fewer emissions. These power plants will also be compatible with hydrogen.
  • E-mobility has real potential in private transport. 

The keynote speech at the INSPIRE hike provided further insights into economically, ecologically and socially responsible business management. Gudrun Heidenreich-Pérez (Deloitte) said:

The inspire participants hike to the next outdoor lecture.

“The future of work will be different. How we work, where we work and who we work with will all change massively. Thanks to AI and other trends, there will always be new jobs.”

Michael Strugl concluded: “VERBUND has a long track record in the field of green finance. We were and still are pioneers, and we want to continue on this path. Sustainability is a business model for us. We generate 95% green electricity, and we see that there are more and more customers who want to make use of sustainable electricity.”

At his dinner speech, Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber provided eye-opening information and details on the state of the global climate: “We will definitely exceed the 2°C limit, but ideally as little and as briefly as possible.”

The prominent climate scientist also made it clear that we must actively remove emissions from the atmosphere and reverse developments: “Climate neutrality is not enough, we must repair the climate and reverse the temperature increase.”

German climate researcher Joachim Schellnhuber gave the dinner speech in 2023.

And so it continued

This day of the conference was dominated by innovations and distribution network security. Conference attendees could look forward to an exciting programme that addressed many of the key themes of the transition to clean energy on this day, too.

Dan Matthies smiles at the camera. He is wearing a dark blue shirt.
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