7TH STEERING GROUP MEETING OF THE PA2: FRUITFUL RESULTS OF COOPERATION
The 7th Steering Group meeting of the Priority Area 2 (PA2) was held in Budapest on 17December 2013 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary. Representatives from the Danube countries and the European Commission (DG ENER and DG REGIO) joined the event. During the one-day meeting, the progress and the results of the ongoing concepts of the PA2 were presented and discussed the next steps of these initiatives.
In her progress report, Ambassador Anita Orbán, Priority Area Coordinator stressed the usefulness of the Danube Region Gas Market Model that was also confirmed by the final Projects of Common Interest (PCI) list accepted by the EU.
The Danube Region Biomass Action Plan revealed that there is a huge potential for solid biomass in the region. The action plan recommends that a harmonized, uniform statistical biomass database should be created to promote macro-regional project implementation. Also, an online demo project database was launched with the aim of collecting best practice biomass projects from the region.
As part of the PA2’s Smart Grid Concept, a ‘Regional workshop on Smart Grid Deployment in the Danube Region’ was held in Brussels on 18 November 2013 with the participation of experts from 14 countries. The aim of the workshop was to assess the demand for smart grid solutions in the region. Based on desktop research and inputs of the workshop, the Danube Region Smart Grid Assessment Report was put together and presented to the Steering Group. The report has shown that Danube countries have different drivers and incentives for smart grids, but emphasis should be put on regulatory issues and the role of Distribution System Operators (DSOs). The Steering Group agreed to organize a workshop that would deal with the regulatory aspects of smart grid systems and obstacles in front of further investments.
The Steering Group was informed about current developments of the Danube Region Geothermal Concept. During the November 2013 Danube Region Geothermal Workshop in Budapest, the extensive geothermal potential of the region was highlighted and the geothermal project concept was further discussed. The concept will be modified based on the inputs of the workshop and circulated among project partners in January 2014 in order to finalize the document. Based on this, a detailed project proposal will be put together in the first half of 2014 with the aim to prepare the project for application to open calls of the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financing Framework in the second half of the year.
The Annual Conference on 19 March 2014 will focus on the EU’s 2030 climate and renewable goals in the context of the macro-region. A seminar is planned in Stockholm on 2 April 2014 with the participation of the Energy Priority Areas of the Danube Region Strategy and the Baltic Sea Region Strategy to share knowledge and experiences. Representatives of the future Adriatic and Ionian Strategy will also be invited.
