Third meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Energy Security, Self-sustainability, Resilience and Connectivity in Greifswald
On 26-28 May 2024, the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Working Group on Energy Security, Self-sustainability, Resilience and Connectivity (WG ESSRC) held its third meeting in Greifswald, Germany. About 40 participants – mainly delegations from the Åland Islands, the Baltic Assembly, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, the German Bundestag, Hamburg, Latvia, Lithuania, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Norway, Poland, Schleswig-Holstein, and Sweden, as well as officials and experts from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the European Commission – attended. The working group continued its discussions on energy policy and energy security in the Baltic Sea Region with a particular focus on Protecting Critical Infrastructure, Energy Transformation and Reducing Energy Dependency. The participants visited one of the world’s leading research facilities for the energy of the future and a decommissioned nuclear power plant to learn about the dismantling of the facility
Vice-Chair of the WG ESSRC, Philipp da Cunha, emphasised that ensuring clean and affordable energy and its security is a common goal of the Baltic Sea region. Against this background, Greifswald was the ideal target for the working group, as the Lubmin site would secure a centrepiece of the state’s energy supply.
The third meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Energy Security and Independence, Resilience and Connectivity of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) took place in the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald from 26 to 28 May 2024. The focus was on joint measures to reduce energy dependency and cooperation to ensure clean and affordable energy.
The event began on Sunday evening, 26 May 2024, at the Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald with a joint visit to the exhibition on the 250th birthday of Caspar David Friedrich, the world’s most famous painter of Romanticism, and the exhibition on the historical development of the region and its changing anchoring in the Baltic Sea region.
On Monday morning, the meeting was opened by Dr Christian Suhm, Scientific Director of the Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald, who reported onthe wide range of scientific events relating to the neighbouring country Poland and the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Christian Pegel, Minister of the Interior, Construction and Digitalisation of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, emphasised in his speech that the security of critical infrastructure is fundamental for coexistence. Communication and power grids must be adequately protected. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has a large number of critical infrastructures, including the harbour in Rostock, numerous wind farms, gas pipelines and LNG terminals. In view of recent developments in the Baltic Sea region, there is an increased exchange of information between state and federal authorities, but a centralisation of responsibilities for the entire Baltic Sea region could be a more effective joint measure. NATO should also be made more aware of the need to protect the Baltic Sea region.
Dr Stefan Fassbinder, Lord Mayor of Greifswald and World Mayor 2023 welcomed the participants from all over the Baltic Sea region and informed them about the city’s commitment to the Baltic Sea region.
Protecting critical infrastructure
The discussion on the security of critical infrastructure was deepened in a discussion with Mr Franco Accordino, Head of Unit “Investments in High Capacity Networks”, Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content and Technologies of the European Commission. The focus was on the European vision for connectivity in the digital economy. The European Commission’s aim is to build an intelligent, efficient and resilient EU backbone infrastructure, to guarantee the EU’s sovereignty over critical assets and to strengthen the EU’s presence in the global context. Financing should consist of a mixture of funds and private investment.
Prof Dr Andreas Noack from Stralsund University of Applied Sciences reported on the topics of cyber security and cyber crime. Criminal activities in cyberspace pose an ever-increasing threat to society. Companies are increasingly investing in their cyber security. Attackers come from different areas, including intelligence services, terrorists, organised crime, hacker groups and individuals. The greatest danger is “social engineering”, in which human weaknesses are exploited to create or find security loopholes. Cyber attacks are sometimes prepared and carried out over many years. One possible step towards prevention is the increased use of open source applications, as these can be analysed more comprehensively.
Dr Henrich Quick, Head of Offshore at 50Hertz Transmission GmbH, spoke about thesecurity of wind turbines. Offshore turbines are particularly susceptible to drone attacks. A comprehensive security concept is therefore required. Even cables located deep in the water are not inviolable. At the same time, the grid expansion map with all projects in the 50Hertz grid area is publicly accessible. The aim of Russian scouting activities in the Baltic Sea is, therefore, not primarily to map the infrastructure but rather to create fear and uncertainty in order to influence the investment behaviour of potential investors with regard to large long-term investment projects. Dr Quick emphasised that we must not fall victim to this fuelled fear and uncertainty.
Energy transformation and reducing energy dependency
Prof Dr Thomas Luschtinetz from Stralsund University of Applied Sciences reported on the development and prospects of hydrogen.The import of green hydrogen to Germany could be particularly important for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as it could lead to a significant increase in jobs and added value. He underlined that a stronger exchange of knowledge with the industry and the creation of transport routes are needed to utilise the potential of hydrogen sensibly and politicians must create the necessary legal framework and provide support.
It is necessary to decarbonise industrial activities to reduce CO2 emissions in the Baltic Sea region and dependence on oil and gas imports. Dr Gabriele Hoffmann, a consultant at the Ministry of Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, presented the “GreenIndustrialAreas” project, which has taken on precisely this task. The aim of the project is to certify green (climate-neutral) industrial areas to promote innovations to reduce CO2 emissions. A transnational standard for the certification of green industrial zones is to be supplemented by a toolbox that provides decision-makers with an overview of the latest technologies for the decarbonisation of commercial activities.
Prof Dr Stephan Knabe, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche ReGas, gave an overview of the company and its contribution to the energy transition. In addition to an LNG terminal in Lubmin, preparations for an energy terminal in Mukran began this year. Another focus is the planning of the large-scale H2 electrolysis plant in Lubmin, which will be used to produce green hydrogen. The electricity required for production is to come from offshore wind power and onshore electricity. The aim is for the green hydrogen to be fed into the future hydrogen network via the planned GASCADE pipeline.
Katrin Zschau, Chairwoman of the Committee on Climate Protection and Energy of the German Bundestag spoke in particular about the need to optimise cooperation between industry and the environment to improve industry’s interests in protecting expensive facilities in the Baltic Sea region. She cited underwater cables and wind turbines as examples.
A look into the future and a journey into the past
The meeting participants were able to experience the energy transition in Greifswald firsthand through two on-site visits. Mr PD. Dr Andreas Dinklage first presented the structure and operation of the “Wendelstein 7-X” experimental facility at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald. During the subsequent tour, the MPs discussed with the experts the suitability of the “Stellarator” type of power plant and the potential of fusion energy as an alternative energy source.
After a presentation by Mr Kurt Radloff, Head of Corporate Communications at “Entsorgungswerk für Nuklearanlagen GmbH” (EWN), on the dismantling of nuclear facilities and the challenges of decontaminating building materials and finding a final storage site for contaminated waste, the meeting participants visited the decommissioned Greifswald nuclear power plant in Lubmin, which is currently being dismantled.
Working group: Planning and outlook
Following the presentations and the exchange with experts, the MPs, led by WG Vice-Chairman Philipp da Cunha, discussed the interim report and the recommendations for action for the 33rd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, which will take place in Denmark from 25 to 27 August. Preliminary proposals and demands for the resolution were drawn up, which are to be adopted by consensus of all member parliaments at the annual conference.
The Norwegian Parliament will host the next meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Energy Security and Independence, Resilience and Connectivity, which will take place on 24-26 November 2024.