The power industry: a way for Europe to comply with the Kyoto protocol while creating employment

Speaker: Mr Klaus-Dieter Rennert, Babcock Borsig Power Systems GmbH, Member of the EPPSA board.

The European power generation system has become obsolete. Practically no new plant has been built in Western Europe over the past two decades. The industry has the means to be a job-machine but the lack of demand for new power plants has brought about considerable re-dimensioning on the part of power plant planners and component producers.   

Prospering well into the 1970s, this industry has today been reduced to one or two core companies. The expected massive demand for new construction from 2010 onwards will probably restore the European power plant industry to its glory. It is in Europe interest that this industry – which generates employment, in particular skilled employment – calls for a political support in order to guarantee that the impending renewal of the European generation system is continuously carried out. The purpose of this support being large scale investment for the electricity supply by clean fossil fuel fired power plants.

• How can the politics ensure that the power plant construction job-machine gradually gets going? 
• How can the power industry help Europe to comply with the Kyoto targets by proposing a new approach to electric power production? 
• How can the industry bring about an assured supply of energy in full agreement with both economic and social targets, keeping in mind the ecological issue?