Source Text and Photo: Thuringian Ministry for Environment, Energy and Nature Conservation (Thüringer Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Naturschutz). Read Original Article in German Language
"Clean and independent energy supply is location factor for Thuringia" / Hoppe: "The economy wants and needs clean energy."
The Thuringian Ministry for Environment, Energy and Nature and the Thuringian Renewable Energies Network (ThEEN e.V.) want to intensify their support for Thuringian companies in their transition to a climate-neutral and independent energy supply. This was agreed today by Minister Anja Siegesmund and ThEEN Board Chairman Fabian Hoppe at the Energy Dialogue in Erfurt. In the future, entire industrial parks in Thuringia are to be transitioned to clean energy supply, e.g. with green hydrogen.
"The idea of climate protection has always been reason enough for the expansion of renewables. Now a completely new dimension has been reached. Today, a viable energy policy infrastructure is also a question of security and freedom, especially for companies in the country. In addition, CO2-free energy is an immense location factor for eastern Germany with regard to settlements such as CATL, Intel or Tesla. Even for our Thuringian economy, which is characterized by small and medium-sized enterprises, renewable energies are becoming increasingly important when it comes to new settlements and production," said Energy Minister Siegesmund after the meeting.
"For us companies, the enormous shortage of skilled workers and the availability of raw materials are currently the highest hurdles to rapid decarbonization. The market for specialists in energy issues is swept empty. Here we urgently need increased incentives for targeted education and training for the energy transition. The economy wants and needs clean energy," said ThEEN board member Fabian Hoppe. This also includes the vigorous expansion of wind and solar energy, Hoppe continued.
The fossil energy price crisis and the targeted demand for climate-neutral products are currently creating an enormous demand from companies for CO2-free energy. This is also confirmed by the research results from the ZO.RRO I project in Thuringia. The Thuringian economy has a great need for information on new technologies and funding opportunities for decarbonization. Results of the research project ZO.RRO I project, which is funded by TMUEN with approximately 1 million EUR, will be presented at the final conference on May 23, 2022.
The meeting with ThEEN continues the series of energy dialogs that Siegesmund has been holding with associations and initiatives over the past weeks. The previous week, the minister had already agreed on a joint initiative with the Erfurt Chamber of Handicrafts for the professional qualification of businesses in order to bring renewable energies into buildings. In March, Siegesmund agreed with the Thuringian Farmers' Association on the expansian of open-space photovoltaic systems on farmland with low yields.
