Business from technology

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Energy

Our focus is to develop energy technologies and systems to mitigate the effects of climate change, improve the rational use of the energy industry, transport and buildings, and develop renewable and other CO2 neutral energy production. Research and development is supported by strong foresight and scenario work ups for pilot and demonstration plan activities with industrial and international partners. The deep reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 needs non-traditional business scenarios and new technology innovations.

The main research areas are:

• renewable energy, bioenergy, wind and fuel cells
  
• nuclear energy and nuclear waste treatment
  
• energy efficiency in transport, alternative fuels and electric vehicles, emissions control techniques
  
• energy efficiency in industry, forest industry biorefinery - wood for future bioenergy and fibre products
  
• power plant technologies, fluid bed combustion and gasification, advanced materials, engine power plants, CCS technologies
  
• waste into energy, integrated material and energy recovery
  
• energy systems and modelling of greenhouse gas emissions and global energy supply
  

Role of VTT and impact in energy research:

• support for authorities in energy and climate policies by technology and foresight review and expertise
  
• system integration and optimisation, new technology development and market introduction with customers
  
• applied interface techniques and developing new solutions through multidisciplinary technologies
  
• selected world class innovation programmes and RTD projects
  

The future challenges

Global climate policies will call for a large scale reduction of greenhouse gases, and European targets will need substantial market introduction of new systems and technologies by 2020. The Finnish energy cluster will strongly develop competence areas in nuclear energy, renewable energy with a special focus on bioenergy and wind. Significant improvements in energy efficiency in industry, buildings and transport will be developed. Advanced research infrastructure and investing in new global competence need additional resources. New leaping solutions will need strong international RTD collaboration and private-public partnership.