Arab Diplomats Visit Burgenland to Promote Renewable Energies
In a major initiative to strengthen bilateral relations between Austria and the Arab world, the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC) together with Energie Burgenland welcomed a high-ranking delegation of Arab ambassadors and diplomats to Burgenland. The focus of the event was on progress in the field of renewable energies and sustainable development.
Arab diplomats saw renewable energy leadership and innovations in Burgenland due to AACC and Energie Burgenland's collaboration. / Picture: © Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC)
The delegation was welcomed by Hans Niessl, the former governor of Burgenland, and Andreas Czerny, the Chief Financial Officer of Energie Burgenland. In his welcoming speech, Niessl emphasized Burgenland's successful steps towards energy independence. Since his initial vision of freeing the region from external energy supplies, numerous renewable energy projects have been implemented with the support of Energie Burgenland. In particular, the construction of 420 wind turbines, the removal of administrative hurdles and the creation of an efficient financing model are outstanding achievements of this cooperation.
Czerny then gave an overview of the history of Energie Burgenland and its successes in the field of renewable energies. He emphasized that Burgenland is pursuing the goal of becoming the world's first climate-neutral and energy-independent region by 2030. This is to be achieved through progressive digitalization, optimization of value chains and innovative grid management systems.
During their visit, the Arab diplomats had the opportunity to experience Burgenland's impressive successes in the field of renewable energies at first hand. Among other things, they visited the largest solar park in the region as well as several wind power plants. Burgenland has been continuously innovating since the construction of its first wind turbine in 1998 and achieved complete energy self-sufficiency in 2013. Today, the region produces 160% of its energy requirements from renewable sources.
A key topic of the visit was the future of energy storage. In collaboration with a specialist company, Energie Burgenland is currently developing a biological energy storage system that is designed to be more sustainable and efficient. This innovative technology is still in the test phase, but promises significant progress in the region's energy use.
Burgenland's strategy for the future up to 2030 also includes ambitious targets, including increasing wind capacity by 1,000 MW, solar capacity by 2,300 MW and storage capacity by 300 MWh. The pioneering projects also include the world's first organic wind PV storage facility and the use of green hydrogen to reduce CO2 emissions by 400,000 tons per year.
The event concluded with lunch at the “Das Fritz” restaurant on Lake Neusiedl, where the Arab diplomats and their Austrian hosts engaged in constructive discussions about future opportunities for cooperation. Energie Burgenland recently visited Oman and signaled great interest in cooperation with Arab countries. This meeting underlines the key role of the AACC in promoting cultural understanding as well as economic and technological partnerships between Austria and the Arab world.
At the end of the event, the Algerian President, Mr. Latrusch, gave a speech of thanks on behalf of the diplomats present and emphasized the importance of such meetings in strengthening international relations and promoting global sustainability goals.