Speech at WIREC, Washington 5 March

Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 2008 (WIREC): Session on Ocean, Tidal, Geothermal, Hydro and Hydrogen at the Concurrent Ministerial Level Sessions for Research and Development.

Washington Wednesday 5 March

Mrs. Liv Monica Stubholt's speech was based on these speaking points:

• To slow down the continuous depletion of non renewable resources and preserve some of them for our grand and grand-grand children, we must sustain with increasing efforts the further deployment of energy sources that are derived from natural processes which are replenished constantly. 

• In the future, we will meet huge challenges connected to developing a sustainable energy sector to address problems related to CO2-emissions. Besides developing technology for carbon capture and storage, which is a top priority for the Norwegian Government, we must work hard to develop more renewable energy as well as focus much more on energy efficiency.

• To achieve this rather urgent mission, we will have to work seriously and with determination on two fronts:
On the one side, we will have to intensify the quest for innovative approaches, be it further research and development efforts to bring up and refine technologies which are energy efficient, reliable and also affordable
or be it by strengthening constantly institutional capacities to free the way forward from financing and administrative hurdles.

• Energi 21 is the newest initiative from the Norwegian Government on energy research. Renewable energy in particular plays a prominent role. The idea is to establish a broad strategy for the energy sector that brings together a wide-range of R&D goals and communities. The objective of the strategy will be to provide a secure platform for the growth of sustainable economic activity and supply-side security in the energy sector.

• The entire chain of innovation. Energi21 will address topics relevant to stationary production of energy, energy transport and energy use. Moreover, Energi21 will encompass the entire chain of innovation with the exception of independent basic research – in other words, everything from strategic energy research to the introduction of new technology in the market.

• An inclusive process. Work on this strategy will take place in the context of an inclusive process which will encompass the entire energy industry.

• Specific objectives One aspect of the strategy effort will be to identify specific R&D objectives and formulate recommendations on what needs to be done to achieve these objectives.
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• To add some flavour to what we are doing in Norway, I will like to highlight some renewable technologies where we are in the forefront; (hydropower, offshore wind and osmotic power)

• How many of you in this room have already heard about of osmotic power? Please raise your hands.

• Well, then let me take a few minutes to share with you this recent discovery made by a Norwegian public private partnership:
Osmotic power generation is taking advantage of natural forces at work when saltwater is mixing with freshwater.

• Osmotic power is a new and very exciting renewable energy technology where the Norwegian state-owned company Statkraft is in the forefront.

• When a river runs into the ocean and the freshwater mixes with the saltwater, huge amounts of energy are unleashed. Unlike violent torrents in a water fall or steaming hot geysers, the energy released when mixing water with different salinity cannot easily be seen from the banks of the estuary. Nevertheless, the energy is there.

• This fits well into their role as a leading European company in renewable energy.  Osmotic power is a good example of what you can achieve when you build on expertise gathered during a century of hydropower development and combines this with the special geographical advantages we have with rivers running out in the many fjords with saltwater. This gives us natural competitive advantage in this field.

• Hence, by encouraging public-private partnerships and increased collaboration between various sectors of our societies, we might well be able to find new promising solutions such as generating power all naturally from osmotic forces occurring when salt and freshwater are mixing.

• Another example is offshore floating windpower installations. The total theoretical potential for offshore wind power in Norway is in reality unlimited, and corresponds to approximately 200 times the total Norwegian hydro power production of 120 Terrawatthours a year. 

• With the sufficient technology, we will open up large new areas worldwide for harvesting wind energy. The medium to long term market potential is significant, comprising both electrification of offshore oil & gas installations and export to the onshore electricity market.

• Offshore wind has the potential of securing Norway and several other countries (including USA, Japan, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy) economical access to an unlimited energy source with no pollution and minimal environmental controversy.

• There are at the time being two different project concepts and two companies working on developing the necessary technology.

• On the other side, we already do have powerful tools at hand to increase substantially the global share of renewables. Hence, we also must multiply our efforts in further developing existing large-scale technologies to generate electricity from renewable energy sources. For example, currently only one third of the world's hydropower potential has been developed, while abundant hydro potential is available where energy is most needed: in Africa, Asia and South America.

• Norway has developed hydropower for more than a century.
We are the world’s 6th largest producer, and has an installed capacity of more than 29 000 MW. I am proud of the fact that in Norway, hydropower’s percentage in electricity production is incredible 99!

• If we'd manage to deploy the remaining hydropower potential worldwide in a sustainable way, we could achieve a huge progress in further advancing renewable energy.      

• Norway has acquired through the past century substantial experience on both fronts and will be pleased to sustain other nation’s efforts in this quest for a better future so that we all can become important players in the Symphony of renewables.

• I look forward to listen to your ideas this afternoon!