Bojan Bogdanović
The diversification of technologies for balancing renewables is inevitable, and thermal energy storage offers the answer to the challenge, but also to the decarbonization of the heating and cooling sector, says Bojan Bogdanović, Principal Fund Manager at the EBRD, announcing the panel on district heating and cooling at Belgrade Energy Forum 2023 (BEF 2023).
The panel on modern technologies for sustainable heating and cooling is part of the Belgrade Energy Forum 2023 (BEF 2023), organized by Balkan Green Energy News. The conference, which will take place on May 8-9, will gather members of the first league of the Southeast Europe region’s energy transition, or those who aspire to join it.
Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia Dubravka Đedović and Energy Community Secretariat Director Artur Lorkowski will deliver keynote speeches at the conference opening and greet around four hundred participants, which is the number of guests the organizer expects. Around 50 high-level speakers will participate in eight panels and two presentations.
Greater deployment of the energy storage and power-to-heat technology for decarbonization of district heating and cooling
Bojan Bogdanović, the moderator of the panel to feature the most attractive district heating projects across the region, said various technologies are currently used around the world to integrate intermittent renewables.
Balancing diversification could be the tipping point of the energy transition
The diversification of the models applied, instead of relying on one or two, could be the turning point of the energy transition, Bogdanović stressed.
He pointed out that thermal energy storage and heat pumps are currently topic number one in Europe and that they are backed by the European Commission.
Bogdanović points out that in a challenging environment caused by the energy crisis, achieving security of supply and affordability of energy for end users would be “mission impossible” without higher penetration of renewable energy in heating, cooling and electricity sectors and an increased focus on coordination and coupling of operations in the said sectors.
The European Union has prepared instructions for the faster introduction of energy storage
A great example of applying the approach was demonstrated by the European Commission, which published a series of recommendations on energy storage on March 14.
They envisage actions that EU countries can ensure greater deployment of the energy storage technology and utilization of surplus renewable electricity production (power-to-heat) to contribute to the decarbonization of the heating and cooling sectors, he explained.
In addition to the recommendations of the European Commission, the panel will also be dedicated to introducing solutions for renewable energy such as heat pumps, solar thermal systems, geothermal energy, biomass and waste heat from industry and urban areas.
The panelists are:
- Dušan Macura, Head of Production and Distribution, Novi Sad district heating utility;
- Vladimir Šiljkut, General Manager Adviser for Business System, Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS);
- Biljana Grbić, Consultant, Energy Community Secretariat;
- Anes Kazagić, Head of Strategic Development Dept., Electric Power Industry of BiH (EPBiH), Sarajevo;
- Dejan Stojanović, Director, Serbian Association of District Heating Plants.
Dear Readers,
I am an experienced Energy Exspert in the region since more than 15 years.
The statement that District heating’s role in balancing renewables is impotant is just not true. Thinking to balance the electrical systems by implementing long term soalr thermal storage has no use nor benefit for the TSO EMS in Serbia. In Serbia we have more than 50 DH-city systems which work autarcly froom the electrical energy system. The solar themal storage is already now independant of the electrical systems.
The solar thermal long term storage will contribute to reduciton of the CO2 emissions of the DH Toplanas, but it wil not contribute to balancing the electrical system of Serbia. This could only be done if we are able to connect more customers to the DH sytems which actually are now using electricity for heating. This is only the casae in big cities like Belgrade and Nis, all other customers not connected to DH are using wood for heating. For that the effect of heating is negligible for balancing of energy!