P R
E S S R E L E A S E
Gelsenkirchen, 6 September 2007
The Ruhr – Leading Energy Region at the heart of Europe
New Internet
portal profiles technology location –
www.ruhrenergy.de
The energy sector worldwide is about to experience a wave of innovation,
driven mainly by the demands of climate change and the need to ensure
ongoing supply. The Ruhr
metropolis is renowned for its technological competence in coal
supply, construction of power plants, and energy generation and
distribution, thanks in particular to companies that have relevant
expertise and are successful on the world scene. From today, a bilingual
Internet portal will highlight the new strengths of the Ruhr
energy region, which have arisen from both the further development of
traditional competencies and the establishment of new ones. These
include companies and research institutes active in the growth sectors
of renewable energies and energy efficiency technologies, as well as in
fuel cell and hydrogen technology. The website,
www.ruhrenergy.de,
which is available in both German and English, offers systematic access
to information on the Ruhr region, a location unique in the world in
terms of its diversity and density with regard to energy technology.
The “Company
Guide” is intended for businesses and specialists who are looking for
German-made energy technology, joint ventures or cooperative projects,
or an investment location in Europe. It integrates the website of the
“RuhrEnergy International Visitor Centre” at Gelsenkirchen Science Park,
which has a long and successful history as a contact point for energy
technology for visitors from all over the world. The state of
North-Rhine Westphalia and the European Union both provided financial
support for the creation of the portal.
As the portal
spectacularly documents, the Ruhr metropolitan region, with its
combination of traditional and new energy expertise, is exceptionally
well placed in the race to innovate, which is being accelerated by the
debate on climate change. It has become the world’s leading location for
suppliers to wind power plants, thanks largely to diversification by
companies involved in the mining and steel industries. Bio energy is
another field where numerous companies have their origins in the mining
sector. A wide range of activities pertaining to biomass gasification
and the processing and utilisation of energy from biomass are taking
place throughout the region – with a firm foundation in the research
institutes and direct application in the gas sector. In addition, a
cluster with great development momentum has been formed for fuel cells
and hydrogen technology. The spectrum ranges from university-related
research to the development of components and system integration to
trials in demonstration projects and field tests. There are promising
signs of other clusters developing in the geothermal, solar energy,
energy saving technologies and energy services fields, with a special
focus on IT systems and services.
Traditional and
new competencies by no means cancel each other out; rather, combining
them creates new synergies. To name just two examples, developers of new
energy conversion technologies can benefit from the extensive experience
of established experts in grid integration and control while, in
exchange, traditional energy businesses now have interesting options for
further diversifying their generation portfolios.
As they develop
and test new energy technology solutions, companies can make use of
cooperation partners from the region’s tertiary and research institutes
in almost all these fields. Over recent years, the tertiary institutes
have continually improved the way they partner with business by forming
cooperative networks to concentrate their expertise in applied energy
research.
For more information:
Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen GmbH [Gelsenkirchen Science Park Ltd]
Mr Wolfgang Jung, Senior Project Manager, Renewable Energies
Tel.: 0209 167 1005
Email:
jung@wipage.de
Science Park
Gelsenkirchen ( Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen )
The Science Park Gelsenkirchen is a symbol of, and a catalyst for the
structural change of The Ruhr, Europe's largest industrial
agglomeration. With the goal of promoting the establishment of new
industries in the center of the Ruhr Valley, the Science and Technology
Park Gelsenkirchen offers innovative companies ideal working conditions
and a suitable stimulating environment. Following up the tradition of
glas and power industry in the city of Gelsenkirchen, the Science Park
was strengthened as an acknowledged centre for solar technology. Also
the service branch (e.g. in senior businesses and management
consultancy) and companies in the field of information and communication
technologies are represented in the Science Park.
Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen GmbH, Munscheidstr.
14, D-45886 Gelsenkirchen,
Phone ++49/209.167-1000, Email:
info@wipage.de,
Home: www.wipage.de
