An important voice of the Silesian University of Technology during the PRECOP 2024 conference
Silesian University of Technology should play a key role in the process of Silesia’s energy transformation, emphasized the University’s representatives at the PRECOP conference in Katowice. During a two-day debate on the climate challenges of the region and the world, scientists from the Silesian University of Technology presented their visions and concepts that can support this process. An important topic of this discussion was the use of energy from the atom.
Over 1500 participants, 150 speakers from all over the world and thirty thematic sessions – this is how the next PRECOP conference in Katowice can be presented in numbers. This is the third edition of the two-day conference, which precedes and prepares participants for the upcoming Climate Summit – COP29 (UN Climate Change Conference) in Baku, Azerbaijan – the largest global forum, whose aim is to develop a common policy to combat climate change.
Representatives of the Silesian University of Technology also participated in discussions on the future of the planet, challenges related to climate and energy transformation of the region.
- “We should play a key role in this process, because we are not only a technological and innovative university, but we also try to take into account the social aspect” - said Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Pawełczyk, the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology.
He pointed out that the Silesian University of Technology cooperates in this area with foreign partners, among others with scientists from the European University EURECA-PRO. University of Montana in Leoben, University of León, University of Hasselt share their experiences because they are very advanced in processes related to modern energy.
- “We draw ideas from them to responsibly fulfil the role of a university that supports the energy transition process, which is important for the region and the country at this moment.” – said the Rector Pawełczyk. He also pointed out that the University has been involved in consortia, business clusters for years, so that scientists can share knowledge with the energy industry, and students already at the beginning receive knowledge that can be used in modern enterprises.
Thinking about the new plants, representatives of the Silesian University of Technology directly pointed out that the most important in the near future will be plants related to the production, processing, and storage of energy, especially from the atom.
During numerous thematic sessions, it was possible to meet both supporters and opponents of this solution.
“I can’t imagine building a reasonable energy mix for a country without nuclear power,” said Dr Eng. Tomasz Bury, head of the Nuclear Technology Laboratory of the Silesian University of Technology. - We see the future in this, which is why we focus on the development of this discipline and have been successfully conducting education in the field of nuclear energy at the master's degree since March. The group of students who have taken up studies is very active, they know that they are waiting for a good job in the future – he added, thus rebutting arguments against the construction of nuclear power plants in Poland.
We cannot stop technological progress. We understand different points of view, but on the other hand, we see what kind of energy needs the country has and we have to meet that. We have to choose conventional energy, which is a significant threat to the environment or modern, based on renewable energy sources – added the Rector.
Dr Hab. Eng. Łukasz Bartela from the Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology confirmed that the Silesian University of Technology has the right to speak loudly about the atom, among others, due to conducting important research in this field. The University implements the DEsire project in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate and Environment, currently with the Ministry of Industry, which took over the implementation of the nuclear energy policy in the country, as well as with Energoprojekt-Katowice SA, the Institute of Chemistry and Nuclear Technology and the Sobieski Institute Foundation. The project was financed under the sixth competition of the National Centre for Research and Development “Gospostrateg.”
As part of the project, it is planned to launch the national Energy Transformation Platform (PTE), which will provide organizational support for activities in the process of transformation of domestic power plants and combined heat and power plants.
"We are trying to maintain production in the places of coal-fired power plants operating today, because the region itself needs these sources and energy security to stop the possibility of recession," explained Łukasz Bartela. One of the proposals to maintain such production is to invest in nuclear sources, in particular SMRs, which in a few years may revolutionize the energy industry.
An important cognitive aspect of the project will be the assessment of the possibility of using existing infrastructure of coal-fired units as part of nuclear investments, both assuming the use of Generation III/III+ and Generation IV reactors.
Not only representatives of the world of science participated in the discussions on various concepts of conducting the energy transformation of the region.
- “During such events we have the opportunity to meet representatives of local governments, institutions and business, and thus exchange experiences, because each of these parties sees different opportunities and threats related to decarbonization” - added Dr Hab. Eng. Marcin Staniek, Prof. SUT, Vice Rector for Collaboration with Civic and Economic Environment of the Silesian University of Technology.
- “We do not stop talking about those issues. We go one step further. A few days ago, we signed an agreement on the establishment of the Energy Transformation Platform between the Silesian University of Technology, University of Silesia, and University of Economics. Together, we can create a strategy that will help achieve sustainable goals,” he added.
The DEsire Energy Transformation Platform is one of the first results of the aforementioned DEsire project, which concerns the decarbonization of the national energy sector in accordance with the idea of the Coal-to-Nuclear transformation.
Discussions on the transformation and climate challenges took place not only in conference rooms, but also at the Silesian University of Technology, which was visited by many guests from both Poland and abroad.
