Sustainable Energy Ireland announces details of Energy Show 2004 16/01/04
Media Information 15th Feb 2003
Sustainable Energy Ireland wins major European award for promotion of renewable energy in Ireland
Sustainable Energy Ireland has been honoured with a major European award for its work in promoting the uptake of renewable energy in Ireland. SEI's Renewable Energy Information Office received the European Commission’s highly coveted Campaign for Take-Off Award for the ‘Best National Renewable Energy Partnership’ in 2003. The prestigious award was presented at a special ceremony in Berlin.
The Campaign for Take-Off was developed in 1999 by the European Commission as a key initiative in its promotional measures to foster market penetration of renewable energies within the European Community. The awards were created to acknowledge the efforts and commitments made at a local, regional and national level as well as to highlight these efforts as showcases for the general public in Europe and beyond.
Presenting the ‘Best National Renewable Energy Partnership’ award to Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), Mr. Günther Hanreich - Director, DG Energy and Transport said that the awards jury recognised SEI’s outstanding work in creating a varied and high-interest programme to promote the development of renewable energy in Ireland.
SEI's Renewable Energy Information Office operates a structured information and advice programme targetted at key stakeholders including planners, resource owners, developers and the general public. It also delivers a comprehensive national event programme to facilitate closer engagement and improved appreciation of the issues in renewable energy deployment across the key stakeholder groupings.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, David Taylor, Chief Executive - SEI, said: “This award is wonderful recognition of the ongoing work being done by SEI's Renewable Energy Information Office. However, we cannot become complacent in our task to ensure a wider uptake in the use of renewable energy. While Ireland is richly endowed with renewable energy resources, we have yet to make proper use of these. SEI will be continuing to seek the highest possible market uptake of sustainable energy practices, including renewable energy, in a manner that will have enduring economy-wide impact and which will ensure security of supply for the future. It is imperative that we achieve a wide commitment to creating sustainable development for all”.
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) was established on May 1st 2002, as a statutory authority charged with promoting and assisting the development of sustainable energy. SEI is funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000 – 2006 with programmes part-financed by the European Union.
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For further information please contact:
Diarmuid O'Neill
Edelman
01-6789333 / 087-6699933
Anyone interested in finding out more about renewable energy and the work of SEI's Renewable Energy Information Office can visit www.sei.ie or call 023 42193 for further information.
Editors Notes:
2003 Campaign to Take-Off Award Winners
The 2003 Winners of the Renewable Energy Campaign for Take-Off, involving all European Union countries, are the following:
- Third party financing (TPF) and the take-off of renewable energy sources in Spain (lead by IDAE)
- Promoting the deployment of renewable energy in Ireland (lead by SEI's Renewable Energy Information Office)
- Energy planning in Navarra (lead by the Government of Navarra)
- Pohjolan Voima's Bioenergy Program (lead by the Finnish Pohjolan Voima)
- Varese Ligure 100% sustainable (lead by the Municipality of Varese Ligure)
- World Network on Bioenergy A global Renewable Energy Partnership (involving a large network of partners lead by the European Biomass Industry Association)
- Soltherm Europe Initiative (a large EU-wide consortium lead by Ecofys b.v.)
- Objective 15% of renewable energy in 2010 (led by ST Microelectronics)
- Renewable Energy for Nordrhein-Westfalen (led by the Regional Energy Agency)
Building on the achievements of the Campaign for Take-Off the European Commission plans to launch a larger successor campaign on sustainable energy in mid-2004, encompassing energy efficiency and renewable energy. The EU has an overall objective to reach a share of 12% for the contribution of renewable energy sources to the European Union's gross inland consumption by 2010.
