Workpackages WP 1: Network AssociationWP 2: Internet/Intranet PlatformWP 3: Spatial PlanningWP 4: Demonstrator projectsWP 5: Promotion of wind energy |
Wind energy in the Baltic Sea Region
Project title: |
"Wind energy in the BSR - Planning, Construction and Investment" |
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| Dossier number: | ... | |
| Project Start: | January 2003 | |
| Project End: | December 2005 | |
| Project Partners: | 17 | |
| Lead Applicant: | City of Rostock, Dr. Andreas Schubert | |
| Project Management: | Dr. Kristina Koebe | |
| Supported by: | European Regional development Fund Interreg III B |
Introduction
The wind energy market is one of the main focus within the current renewable-energy-development. By co-ordinating know-how of partners in "experienced" BSR-areas with the local insider knowledge of partners from weaker regions and by integrating politicians, planners, lawyers, researchers and middle-class companies we support social cohesion and prevent a domination of strong market leaders (answer to the EU-discussion regarding de-industrialisation, attempt for the re-industrialisation of the small-scale enterprises and all aspects of spatial development planning that are connected with that, practical contribution to a well-balanced sustainable development within the BSR in general, generating a leading-position of the BSR-region within the EU.
Problems to be addressed
At the moment we are confronted with extreme disparities of experiences and business in the wind energy branch of the BSR (planning, investment and operation), that are caused by the former socialist energy and economy politics vs. the problematic development of energy politics during the last years.East-German starter experiences added with Scandinavian innovation in this business, that could be representatively transferred into the Accession countries, which would help to avoid planning and development mistakes in both: the accession (+ RU) and EU countries.
A wind energy activist network does not exists at the moment, but there is a high interest in such networking in all BSR-countries. At the moment, great development potentials for sustainable energy production and a higher employment rate (divergence to the collapse of the traditional industry) remain unused, so that the BSR is still unimportant within the global competition: it lacks impressive examples to overcome subjective barriers that hinder investment. The socio-economic, planning and nature-relevant chances and potentials are not used.
The energy market in the BSR goes through a radical change. The industrial request for energy decreases enormously, times and places of energy request move towards more diversification. Monopolists from the energy branch start to secure their traditional market shares in the liberalising BSR-market. Middle-class companies and local newcomers have problems to establish adequately on the energy market and for the BSR regions to improve their own situation by participating in this branch.
Ignorance and prejudices related to wind energy are development handicaps as well: here, public work via positive images and examples has to be done.
Expected outcome
Regional development of weaker BSR-areas, BSR-wide co-operations. Improvement of the BSR-status within the global competition, better usage of potentials by the 5 workpackages:- Improvement of cross-cultural consciousness between all member countries by building up of an BSR-wide Wind energy network (Based on the current network of multipliers: 18 Implementation-, 17 Dissemination- and 7 Development-Partners from various nations)
- Improvement of over-regional co-operation as well as the integration of local and regional economies via an internet- and intranet-platform as a communication- and co-operation-tool for partners
- Overcoming investment barriers and improvement of the environmental status (protection of resources and global climate) as well as the social progress by a well-balanced spatial planning; Improvement of decision-making processes (by standardisation and work-flow elements in planning-processes wherever possible
- Improvement of the investment climate for the regional and local economy and of the wind energy image by demonstrator projects
- Job integration, job creation and improvement of the social progress by education and training of future wind energy experts esp. in the less developed regions, promotion of business starters and small-scale enterprises. As the project is very practically oriented, the branch will reach a quality that, without the project, would become possible only much later, dominated by a few big companies, leaving regional and local interests behind.
Central objectives
The project makes a contribution to reduce the development differences within the BSR regarding the following aspects:- Exchanging project experiences.
- The Building up of network structures (R&D, regional and local authorities, private economy) for a general catch-up with European standards.
- Discovering investment potentials.
- The reduction of inequalities in production and operation of wind energy converters in the BSR.
- Helping to increase the competitiveness of the BSR within the EU and the global context.
- Helping to improve the local energy supply.
- Helping to develop innovative examples for sustainable energy production as an answer to de-industrialisation and regression.
- Strengthening the national and local economy.
- Contribution to the integral usage of the BSR-potentials for the sustainable development of the BSR.
- Showing potential for education and job training for different target groups.
- Helping social, economic and ecological aims to be put through.
