Energy independence is the main theme of the Future Energy Solutions conference in Lappeenranta, 8–9 November

The City of Lappeenranta together with LUT University is organising the Future Energy Solutions conference during 8–9 November 2022 at LUT University in Lappeenranta. The second FES conference can also be attended remotely, but the organisers hope that people in the industry will be able to meet each other and network on the spot for the first time in a while.

The main theme of the conference will be very topical regionally and across Europe: Towards an Energy Independent Europe. According to Olli Pyrhönen, Dean of LUT University, replacing fossil energy with emission-free energy production is both a great challenge and an opportunity.

“Technology research is producing solutions to replace fossil hydrocarbons in energy production, transport and as a source of raw materials for industry. On the other hand, the transition to new technologies requires them to be cost-effective with a sufficiently long transition period. It also requires the emergence of new types of hydrogen markets.”

The conference will feature top-level speakers from the European Commission, the Finnish Government, businesses and the research community. The event will be opened by Sanna Koskenranta, Chair of Lappeenranta City Council, Juha-Matti Saksa, Rector of LUT University, Henna Virkkunen, Member of the European Parliament, and Helena Sarén from Business Finland, to name a few.

Regional projects and in particular the hydrogen economy to feature strongly at the conference

The conference will highlight energy-related investment projects of regional importance, a record number of which are currently under way. According to Kimmo Jarva, Mayor of Lappeenranta, the projects, many of which are the result of cooperation between the city, companies and the university, highlight the city’s role as a pioneer in climate issues.

“There is much to be gained globally in this area. Our city is a testbed for innovations that promote energy independence and efficiency. We are happy to share information about our solutions, which are the result of long-term work.”

Speaking at the conference on the topic of hydrogen economy and synthetic fuels will be a representative from the energy company St1, which is planning a methanol production plant in Lappeenranta’s Ihalainen industrial area, next to the Finnsementti factory. Sara Kärki from Gasgrid, on the other hand, will talk about plans to run a hydrogen pipeline from Kemira’s Joutseno plant to Ovako’s Imatra steelworks.

The conference will also include a section on the hydrogen valleys of North-Eastern Europe, in collaboration with the BotH2nia network, which aims to create the world’s first hydrogen bay in the Gulf of Bothnia. Before the conference itself on 7 November, a tour of local industrial sites that produce, use, transport or store hydrogen will be organised with the BotH2nia network. The conference will also present the establishment of the South-East Finland Hydrogen Valley, which is currently under way in Eastern Finland.

The second day of the conference will focus on electricity and heat storage and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) and their use in heating. Speakers on these topics will include business representatives and professors from LUT University. There will also be a panel discussion on SMR, chaired by Professor Juhani Hyvärinen from the Department of Energy Technology at LUT University.

The Future Energy Solutions conference will bring together energy and environmental experts in Lappeenranta to network and share their views and knowledge. The event is a great opportunity for companies to showcase their solutions.

The organisation of the conference is one of the key actions of the Green Electrification ecosystem agreement, for which the city is co-funded by the European Union.

Conference website and registration: www.futureenergysolutions.fi