New Forum to Pool Energy Research Activities in Germany

Federal Minister of Education and Research Johanna Wanka and representatives of German scientific institutions presented a new forum (Nationale Forschungsplattform Energiewende) that intends to pool the research activities for the German Energiewende, the transition away from a nuclear and conventional power based energy supply to a (mostly) renewable energy supply.

More than 180 universities and universities for applied sciences and 120 research institutions are doing research on topics related to the energy transition, the Federal Ministry of Education an Research (BMBF) pointed out.

The National Research Forum Energiewende consists of three elements:

• The project “Energiesysteme der Zukunft” (Project Energy Systems for the Future) shall gather and present knowledge on energy topics, draft energy scenarios and identify new research topics. It is supported by the German scientific academies, the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), the  German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Federation of German Academies of Sciences.
• With support and coordination provided by BMBF and the Economics and Environment Ministry  the “Forschungsforum Energiewende” (Research Forum Energiewende) shall bring all stakeholders in the Energiewende, i.e. politicians, businesses and civilians, and researchers together.
• A third pillar is the Coordination Committee of the major research institutions and representatives of the universities, i.e. the German Rectors’ Conference and The German Research Funding Organisation (DFG). The goal is to create an exchange of information so that researchers can draw conclusions from other research projects.

A map informing about energy research in Germany is available on the BMBF homepage, the ministry informed.

The Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW) welcomed the new research forum, saying an approach that takes the complex interplay of the energy generation, transport, storage, supply and the role of the end consumers into consideration was needed. BDEW warned again of the underfunding of the Energy and Climate Fund, which inter alia provides funds for energy research, and demanded to create additional income for the fund (regarding a prior demand of this kind, please see here).

Source: Federal Ministry of Education and Research; BDEW

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