Brussels, 27th April 2021. We are pleased to announce the launch of COGEN World Coalition (CWC), a global association that will bring together a worldwide community of companies, associations, institutions and other key stakeholders focused on the use of cogeneration (also known as combined heat and power or CHP).
The CWC has been established to ensure a better contribution of cogeneration to environmental sustainability and the fight against climate change, while supporting economic growth. Cogeneration is part of the backbone of all energy systems in the transition toward a more resilient, efficient and sustainable energy future.
Founding members of CWC include associations such as ACOGEN, CHP Alliance, COGEN Europe, COGEN Spain, COGEN Brazil, COGENERA México, ITALCOGEN and KOJEN TÜRK and leading companies in the sector such as AB Energy, Baker Hughes, Clarke Energy, INNIO, Kawasaki and 2G.
COGEN World Coalition’s Main Objectives
CWC, acting as the global reference point for the cogeneration sector, will support countries and broader regions that have recently entered the cogeneration market and may be only just beginning to develop the technology and processes by enabling them to leverage best practices from other parts of the world where it is already mature and widely adopted.
CWC will:
- Inform, educate and promote a wider use of cogeneration worldwide;
- Create and foster dialogue with relevant intergovernmental organizations including the United Nations, International Energy Agency, World Trade Organisation, World Bank, IMF, etc.;
- Support the establishment and development of national and continental associations/networks linked to cogeneration;
- Connect companies, entrepreneurs, associations and professionals active in the field of energy efficiency;
- Exchange information and experiences related to cogeneration technology;
- Support initiatives in order to lobby policymakers and regulators; and
- Exchange, discuss and develop positions on issues of common interest including energy efficiency, climate change, sustainable development, financing and more.
The President of CWC is David Gardiner, current Executive Director of the US-based Combined Heat and Power Alliance (CHP Alliance). Hans Korteweg, current Managing Director of Brussels-based COGEN Europe, will be the first Executive Director.
“The COGEN World Coalition is an exciting new venture bringing together stakeholders to help policy makers and others from around the globe understand how cogeneration reduces emissions and improves grid reliability to combat the growing effects of climate change. Cogeneration can reduce emissions in industry and buildings and ensure delivery of power and heat in the face of increasing climate-induced grid disruptions.” David Gardiner, President of COGEN World Coalition, Executive Director of the CHP Alliance
“COGEN Europe is delighted to be a co-founder of the COGEN World Coalition. By joining forces, we can speed up the creation of resilient, decentralised and carbon-neutral energy system. Cogeneration is a main driver to decarbonise our society in a cost-effective way, and with CWC this message will resonate across all borders.” Hans Korteweg, Executive Director of COGEN World Coalition, Managing Director of COGEN Europe
What is Cogeneration?
Cogeneration is an efficient technology to generate electricity and heat. It produces heat and electricity simultaneously, maximising prime energy efficiency. Cogeneration currently supplies 11 percent of electricity and 15 percent of heat in Europe[1]. In the US, cogeneration today represents 8 percent of the electricity generating capacity.
Cogeneration is the most efficient way to produce power and has the potential to replace wasteful conventional power generation. In traditional power plants, roughly two-thirds of energy input (68 percent) is emitted directly into the environment, with a mere 32 percent of primary energy delivered to customers/end-users. The results are increased carbon pollution as well as a loss in competitiveness.
Cogeneration recovers the heat that is lost during conventional power generation to ensure lower carbon footprint and a more efficient and competitive process for buildings, manufacturing and institutional uses. Furthermore, since CHP systems can operate independently of the electric grid, sites are more resilient, meaning they can maintain energy services, including lighting and heat during extreme weather events.
The Need for Cogeneration
One of the world’s greatest challenges is to find ways to increase economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability and winning the fight against climate change.
In the energy sector, the technological solution to help meet these objectives already exists. It is cogeneration, or combined heat and power (CHP), a method of simultaneously generating thermal energy and electricity with a single unit. Cogeneration also benefits electricity grid systems providing flexible embedded generation assets adjacent to land demand.
Cogeneration is more efficient and cost-effective than generating heat and electricity separately in two different units.
Every year cogeneration saves 200 million tonnes of CO2 in Europe alone – equal the total emissions of 42.5 million passenger cars or 2.6 million trucks.
In the US, cogeneration could supply 20 percent of electric capacity by 2030 and deliver a host of benefits including the production of Produce 200,000 megawatts of power – equal to the capacity of 400 power plants – and the creation of 1 million new highly skilled technical jobs.
Very many cogeneration schemes will be connected at medium voltage (from 11 to 33 kV) distribution feeders improving voltage profile and deferring CAPEX in voltage control equipment.
