ENERGY
Floating offshore wind power. Focus on Mediterranean in cooperation with Wind Europe. Storage & smart grid, regulatory framework and technologies for islands in cooperation with Ease and Eurobat.
Active Working groups and Task Forces
TOURISM
The island resorts: how to become a green destination and reduce costs, while engaging local communities. The Maldives’ case study in cooperation with MITDC.
WATER
RES, water recycling & desalination hybrid systems in cooperation with IDA and Global Solar Council.
AGRICULTURE
Sustainable Agriculture in Small Islands
in cooperation with Insuleur and Instituto Tecnologico de Canarias.
ENERGY
⇒ Floating offshore wind power. Focus on Mediterranean.
Lizet Ramirez, Offshore Analyst, Wind Europe.
In collaboration with
Floating offshore wind is a fast-maturing technology, which could potentially cover a leading role in the energy transition process of islands. In this context, Mediterranean Sea, acknowledged its geophysical characteristics, could be the perfect scenario for the implementation of innovative projects.
The task force will focus on enabling conditions (technical, regulatory, market, etc) for the take-off of floating offshore wind technologies in the Mediterranean Sea.
⇒ Storage & smart grid, regulatory framework and technologies for islands
Francesco Gattiglio, Director EU Affairs & Policy, EUROBAT.
Jacopo Tosoni, Policy Officer, EASE.
In collaboration with
Smart grids and storage together allow for an increased RES and e-Mobility penetration on islands. Latest energy storage innovations can provide much-needed flexibility and stability for the grid, that are essential for the transition to a system dominated by variable renewables. Supported by energy storage systems, smart grids can adapt very well to different energy mixes, demand profiles, and other attributes that differ across the islands. However, the evolution of technology needs to be preceded by a regulation that ensures the adoption of key quality and environmental parameters. The GTI Observatory task force will focus on innovative smart grid management systems and storage technologies, collecting best practices and promoting pilot projects for islands to maximize the penetration of RES and e-Mobility, while ensuring grid’s efficiency and stability.
Moreover, the task force will support legislation and regulation that can accelerate the application of smart grid technologies and systems on islands, creating a model for the mainland. In the near future, the European Commission is going to propose a new regulatory framework on how batteries are produced and managed at the end of their life, with the ultimate goal of promoting their sustainable production in Europe. Hence, firstly, the formed task force will study and provide possible solutions, in order to overcome regulatory issues hindering a wide production and application of such a technology.
TOURISM
⇒ The island resorts: how to become a green destination and reduce costs, while engaging local communities. The Maldives’ case study.
Mohamed Raaidh, Managing Director, MITDC (Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation).
In collaboration with
Covid-19 pandemic has brought detrimental effects on global tourism, particularly affecting those contexts which almost exclusively rely on it, such as island resorts. Hence, formed task force is to answer to the question: “How can sustainability and technological solutions help the island resorts to develop a new tourism market focused on green destinations, while reducing their costs on energy, water, waste and mobility?”.
The task force will also discuss new approaches and business models where island resorts engage on the sustainable transition the local communities of neighbor islands where workers often lives.
WATER
⇒ RES, water recycling & desalination hybrid systems
Shannon Mccharthy, Secretary General, IDA International Desalination Association
Dave Renné, Coordinator Technical Committee, Global Solar Council
In collaboration with
Climate change and consequent water scarcity clearly foster the necessity of finding eco-friendly solutions in order to guarantee an adequate high-quality freshwater supply to island inhabitants. In this context, seawater desalination, coupled with renewable energy systems, is in most cases the answer.
Hence, formed task force is to focus on feasible technical solutions, which ensure water availability at competitive costs, along with research of interesting funding opportunities.
AGRICULTURE
⇒ Sustainable Agriculture in Small Islands.
George Assonitis, Advisor, Union of Hellenic Chambers Member, Technical Committee of Insuleur (The Association of the EU Islands Chambers of Commerce)
In collaboration with
Sustainable agriculture is fundamental for small islands’ self-sufficiency, economy, and transmission of their natural heritage. A number of innovative plantation techniques, such as hydroponic cultivation combined with renewables, is available on the market.
Hence, formed task force is to focus on coupling the conservation and development of island indigenous crops, thanks to the latest technologies of irrigation, wastewater reuse and renewable energy.
Recorded webinar | 27 July 2020
GTI Observatory New Structure
to better deepen the most innovative topics on island circular economy.
