Photo: BGEN
Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antić inaugurated the fifth international fair and conference RENEXPO 2018 – WATER and ENERGY at the Belexpo Center in Belgrade, which gathered more than 80 exhibitors. During the three-day event, with Germany as the official partner country and the Netherlands and Israel providing support, international conferences on renewable energy, energy efficiency, water and wastewater management, sustainable transport, small hydropower plants and solid waste management will be held.
The fair is organized by REECO Group, a branch of a German company specializing in the organization of trade fairs for the promotion of sustainable energy development and environmental protection.
Antić said that the fair is a place where many investments and contracts are arranged and signed. The fact that there are 80 exhibitors this year shows that their number is increasing every year, as is the number of countries that support it.
“The priorities of this government are sustainable development and climate change mitigation, and renewable energy sources and energy efficiency are the tools to achieve these goals. This year is crucial for renewables in Serbia. We expect 250 MW wind farms to be connected to the grid, as a result of pioneering steps made by this government, as well as the Ministry of Mining and Energy. But we will not stop there. The ministry is preparing a new action plan for renewables and has ambitious plans. We will all witness a change in Serbia’s energy mix,” he noted.
Managing director of REECO Group, Johann Georg Rohm, said that about 60% of the fair exhibitors, as well as 10%-15% of visitors, are from abroad. He expects 2,000 visitors over three days.
“The fight against the consequences of decades-long neglect in the environmental protection sector lies ahead of Serbia. The public-private partnership (PPP) as a model will be the backbone of this fight,” State Secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection Branislav Blažić said.
Ministar @AAnticBG otvorio je Medjunarodni sajam #Renexpo Water&Energy2018
Održivi razvoj, standardi žaštite životne sredine, obnovljivi izvori energije i energetska efikasnost u vrhu su prioriteta #VladaRS 🇷🇸@SerbianGov pic.twitter.com/5GLX4AWzHg— mre (@MiningEnergyRS) April 24, 2018
Green development is essence of cooperation between Germany and Serbia
According to German Ambassador to Serbia Axel Dittmann, energy transition in Germany was successful, which provided not only environmental protection but also numerous business opportunities.
The promotion of green development is the essence of our cooperation with Serbia. This cooperation is part of membership negotiations with the EU, which stand for increasing the share of renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency and water management,” Dittmann said.
Dutch Ambassador to Serbia Henk van den Dool noted that almost a third of the Netherlands’ territory is below sea level, making it clear how climate change affects the daily lives of its citizens, while Israeli ambassador Alona Fisher Kam said that companies from this country build wind farms and participate in wastewater treatment projects in Serbia.
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