The EU Energy Innovation Virtual Expo, hosted by the EU-China Energy Cooperation Platform (ECECP), kicked off on 8 November 2022. Funded by the EU, supported by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) and promoted by EnergyPost, the exhibition showcases European companies who wish to introduce their innovative technologies in renewables, energy efficiency, energy storage, power grids and buildings to the Chinese market. The three-day event brings together 15 European exhibitors from Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Slovenia who are showcasing their innovative energy technologies, products and solutions in five separate virtual exhibition halls covering renewables, energy efficiency, energy storage, power grids and buildings. The Expo can be visited at www.euenergyinnovationexpo.com. Alongside internationally renowned companies such as Scania, Danfoss and Rolls-Royce, many outstanding European companies such as Elestor, JS Energy and Heliostorage are ready and willing to explore the Chinese market. The Expo offers them a ‘window’ through which to present their innovative energy solutions and case studies to the Chinese audience. In addition, a series of live online events and interviews are to be streamed from Europe throughout the three-day event; key industry experts and CEOs of participating companies will meet with the audience in a live forum to explore new opportunities for EU-China energy cooperation. Chinese stakeholders have responded positively to the exhibition. According to ECECP, more than 20 Chinese enterprises have shown interest in the European technologies on show at the Expo. In addition, relevant departments in Hebei, Tianjin, Henan, Liaoning and Shandong provinces have arranged for local enterprises to participate in the online events and explore the possibility of future cooperation. Energy innovation is an important engine for green development and combating climate change. At the launch event on 8 November 2022, Luis Schultz, international relations officer at DG ENER, highlighted the important role of EU-China cooperation in energy innovation in his opening speech. ‘China is at the forefront of the fight against climate change and the energy transition, and the EU has a wealth of experience and is looking forward to sharing with China. While both EU and China have set ambitious decarbonisation targets, goals and targets alone are not enough. What is most important for clean energy transition is the rapid and effective introduction of breakthrough energy technologies. In this regard, cooperation between the EU and China can play a crucial role and it is already recognised in the high level dialogue. This is precisely the reason why we organised this online exhibition, creating the opportunity for European and Chinese companies to cooperate.’ At the same time, Mr Schultz stressed that the cooporation in innovation can only take place if a level playing field is guaranteed for all actors and if investments and intellectual property rights are protected. ‘This is the only way that we can create a win-win situation for the EU and the Chinese partners.’

The opening ceremony held on November 8 also featured a special session on the launch of the Digest of the Handbook on Electricity Markets.

Continue to read about the opening event here.