Sustainable use of energy carriers in the Kattegat/Skagerrak-region - a regional case study

Conference poster, 2013

This paper reports on a recently initiated interregional project on sustainable use of energy carriers in the Kattegat/Skagerrak-region (KASK) in Norway and Sweden. The work analyses and models large-scale integration of renewable power, the potential of process integration and energy efficiency improvements in key industries in the region and identifies cost efficient solutions for an energy efficient building stock. Energy and emission statistics along with energy and climate plans are used to investigate how well the current “path” with regard to energy use and GHG emissions fits within the corresponding plans for the region. The statistics is also used to define a Reference Energy System (RES) for the region which gives a structured mapping of the energy system of the region, comprising supply, conversion and end-use of the different energy carriers/sources in the region. Based on the analysis the aim of the project is to propose one or more pathways in the short, medium and long term towards a sustainable energy system in the region. The initial work shows that final energy use for parts of the region has actually increased by 25% since 1990 while GHG emissions have declined only marginally, by 3%. Furthermore, although most municipalities in the region have targets or at least visions on significant reductions both with regard to energy use and GHG emissions they lack a clear description (pathway) of how to reach these targets (visions). This clearly indicates that thorough analysis of the energy system in the region could provide valuable insights to decision makers and stakeholders on requirements and challenges for transforming the energy system to reach the visions.