Event
Overview
Every year in autumn (since 2014) and since 2024 also in spring, we host the Energiepolitischer Dialog (Energy Policy Dialogue – ED). The aim of the event is to strengthen the dialogue between politics, business, science and society on themes relating to energy policy. We expressly support the climate-compliant design of the energy transition. We are convinced that gas and its infrastructure have a lot to offer when it comes to climate protection and will therefore play a decisive role in the future energy system.
Moving from talking to doing – Quo Vadis H₂ core network for the green transformation?
Zusammenfassung
This was the title of the Energiepolitischen Dialog Berlin (Energy Policy Dialogue) held at the Akademie der Künste on 10 October 2024.
The focus was on the hydrogen core network as an important building block for the energy transition and the decarbonisation of industry.
The 13th Energiepolitische Dialog was also the premiere for Dr Thomas Hüwener as host and CEO. He welcomed more than 100 guests from politics, business and industry and emphasised in his opening statement: " We have already achieved a great deal in terms of the core hydrogen network and expect approval from the Federal Network Agency before the end of this month’. At the same time, he warned policymakers that there were still a number of hurdles to overcome for the hydrogen ramp-up to gain momentum.
For the subsequent panel discussion, we were able to attract top-class and inspiring minds such as Dr Axel Bree (Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection), Dr Arnd Köfler (Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann), Dr Andreas Breuer (Head of Hydrogen at Westenergie AG), who stood in for Katarina Reiche (Chairwoman of the National Hydrogen Council and CEO, Westenergie AG) and Nina Scholz (Country Manager Germany at Equinor). Inka Schneider (journalist & TV presenter) was this year's moderator. The discussion focused in particular on how Germany is dealing with the temporary cancellation of an H2 pipeline from Norway and how the current developments at thyssenkrupp in Duisburg should be viewed.
All the participants agreed that a number of major hurdles had been overcome throughout Germany and that it was now important to join forces and view the hydrogen ramp-up in Germany as a team effort by all stakeholders. More details can be found in the press release for the event.
After the discussion, there was the opportunity to talk to the panelists and colleagues from OGE in a relaxed atmosphere.
These were the panelists:
- Dr Axel Bree, Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection
- Dr Arnd Köfler, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann
- Dr Andreas Breuer, Head of Hydrogen at Westenergie AG
- Nina Scholz, Country Manager Germany at Equinor
- Dr Thomas Hüwener, CEO, OGE
- Moderation: Inka Schneider, Journalist and television presenter
Between Rhine and Ruhr - Hydrogen for the green transformation. Where do we stand?
Summary
This was the title of OGE's Energy Policy Dialogue held on 26 June in the Erich Brost Pavilion at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen. The ED thus returned to the Ruhr region, to a historic site that symbolises the successful transformation of the region. Today, the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex serves as a campus for the future, providing a link to the new energy world.
Together with high-calibre guests from politics, society and industry, the current status of the green transformation was discussed with a focus on the hydrogen ramp-up on the Rhine and Ruhr. In addition to Minister Mona Neubaur (Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia), we were able to attract other experts from the energy industry for the subsequent panel discussion. They included Dr Sopna Sury (RWE Generation SE), Yvonne Ruf (Roland Berger) and Professor Marc Bettzüge (EWI). The discussion centred on the progress made in implementing the H2 core grid and the next steps required. The question of how imports of hydrogen via Belgium, the Netherlands and other European partners can reach North Rhine-Westphalia and be utilised by industry was examined in particular.
Discussing on the podium:
- Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Dr Sopna Sury, Member of the Executive Board of RWE Generation SE
- Yvonne Ruf, Senior Partner in the Regulated & Infrastructure division, Roland Berger
- Professor Marc Bettzüge, Director of the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI)
- Dr Jörg Bergmann, (former) Spokesman of the Management Board, OGE
- Moderation: Ina Böttcher, freelance journalist
“2023 - the year of hydrogen: where are we on the H₂ core grid and the green transformation?”
Summary
This was the title of this year's Energy Policy Dialogue at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin on 12 October. The main focus was on the (partly missing) speed of the H2 core grid & H2 ramp-up.
In his opening statement, Jörg Bergmann emphasised the great importance of accelerating the H2 ramp-up and the H2 core grid: "From my point of view, we need a racing car to accelerate to the appropriate speed, which is indispensable for the successful hydrogen ramp-up. Let's get to work now and together - the energy sector with politics, authorities, business, industry and society - create the right conditions for us to succeed in the green transformation."
This year, we were once again able to attract exciting experts from the energy industry as panelists for the subsequent panel discussion: Lars Baumgürtel (CEO, ZINQ), Dr Christine Falken-Großer (Head of the Hydrogen Policy Unit, BMWK), Simon Müller (Director Germany, Agora Energiewende) and Dr Sopna Sury (COO Hydrogen, RWE Generation SE). Among other things, they discussed the question of what else is needed for the H2 ramp-up in addition to the H2 core network. There was agreement that the H2 core network is a milestone on the way to the H2 era. But more speed is now needed for the H2 ramp-up so that small and medium-sized enterprises - just like large-scale industry - can start decarbonising. This is the only way we can achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2045 and regain pole position in the international competition of national economies.
These were the panelists:
- Lars Baumgürtel, Managing Partner of the ZINQ Group
- Dr. Jörg Bergmann, Chairman of the Management Board, OGE
- Dr. Christine Falken-Großer, Head of Hydrogen – Coordination, BMWK
- Simon Müller, Director Germany, Agora Energiewende
- Dr. Sopna Sury, Chief Operating Officer Hydrogen and Member of the Board of RWE Generation SE
- Moderator: Ina Böttcher, freelance journalist
Hydrogen in times of fundamental change – OGE's Energiepolitischer Dialog hosted in Berlin for the first time puts focus on the hydrogen ramp-up and on infrastructure
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2022
on 28 September 2022
These were the panelists:
- Dr. Jörg Bergmann, Chairman of the Board of Management at Open Grid Europe GmbH
- Andreas Rimkus, Member of the German Bundestag
- Dr. Marie Jaroni, Head of Decarbonization at thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG
- Dr. Patrick Wittenberg, Head of Special Technology/Digitalisation of Westnetz GmbH
- René Rock, Energy spokesperson of the FDP parliamentary group
- Ina Böttcher, Journalist and television host
Germany as a hub — the role of energy infrastructures for a successful European Green Deal!
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2021
on 2 December 2021
The panellists were:
- Dr. Jörg Bergmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Open Grid Europe GmbH
- Jens Geier, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group
- Holger Lösch, Deputy Director General, BDI
- Stephan Singer, Senior Climate Science and Global Energy Policy Advisor, Climate Action Network
- Dr. Kirsten Westphal, German Institute for International and Security Affairs
- Host: Isabelle Körner, Journalist and television host
SECTOR-COUPLING | SUSTAINABLE | ECONOMIC
Shaping the energy transition with hydrogen!
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2019
on 5 September 2019
The panellists were:
- Dr. Jörg Bergmann (Chairman of the Board, Open Grid Europe GmbH)
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart (Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitisation and Energy)
- Detlev Wösten (Member of the Executive Board of the H&R Group and Chairman of the VCI Nord)
- Dr. Felix Matthes (Research Coordinator for Energy and Climate Policy at the Ökoinstitut and member of the WSB Commission)
- Andreas Rimkus MP, (SPD, Member of the Bundestag Committee for Economics and Energy)
"Energy transition, please!"
... but who’s footing the bill?
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2018
on 29 October 2018
The panellists were:
- Thomas Jorberg, Chairman of the Executive Board GLS Bank, responsible for employee development, communication and development, overall bank management, active back-office, GLS Beteiligungs AG and GLS Energie AG
- Professor Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitisation and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Udo Sieverding, Head of the Energy Division and Member of the Management Board of the consumer watchdog Verbraucherzentrale NRW
- Michael Wübbels, Deputy Managing Director, Head of the Energy Industry Department Verband kommunaler Unternehmen e.V. (VKU)
- Dr. Jörg Bergmann, CEO of Open Grid Europe GmbH
Shaping the energy transition with intelligent sector coupling
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2017
on 7 November 2017
The panellists were:
- Dr. Jens Andersen, Volkswagen Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Group Representative for Natural Gas Mobility
- Christoph Dammermann, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)
- André Stinka, Member of the NRW state parliament and Spokesman for the Environment, Agriculture, Nature and Consumer Protection of the SPD state parliamentary group
- Dr Carsten Voigtländer, CEO of Vaillant GmbH
- Dr Jörg Bergmann, CEO of Open Grid Europe GmbH
Make-or-break decision time for the energy transition – what will the elections in North Rhine-Westphalia and the national elections bring?
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2016
on 26 October 2016
The panellists were:
- Thomas Bareiß, Member of the Bundestag, Energy Commissioner of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group
- Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Construction and Reactor Safety
- Johannes Remmel, Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Michael Thews, SPD, Member of the German parliament
- Stephan Kamphues, CEO of Open Grid Europe GmbH
Energy policy year 2015 – a sea change or just a small step
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2015
on 21 October 2015
The panellists were:
- Garrelt Duin, Minister of Economics, Energy, Industry, Small and Medium-sized Businesses and Crafts of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Dr Oliver Geden, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Head of EU/Europe Research Group
- Roger Kohlmann, Member of the General Executive Management Board of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW)
- Stephan Kamphues, CEO of Open Grid Europe GmbH
North Rhine-Westphalia: the natural gas hub for Germany and Europe!?
Energiepolitischer Dialog 2014
on 24 October 2014
The panellists were:
- Dietmar Brockes, MdL FDP, Member of the State Parliamentary Group in NRW, Spokesman for Economy, Industry and Energy
- Dietmar Bückemeyer, Stadtwerke Essen AG, Technical Director, German Association of the Gas and Water Industry, President
- Peter Franke, Federal Network Agency, Vice President
- Jan Karl Karlsen, Statoil Deutschland GmbH, Head of Representative Office, Berlin
- Oliver Krischer, MdB Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Group
- Stephan Kamphues, CEO of Open Grid Europe GmbH