Energy Days on green transition and sustainability
The central event in the energy sector was once again the subject of great interest this year, especially in light of the political developments between Russia and Ukraine, which are having a considerable impact on electricity and gas prices. At the event, Petrol representatives presented how large energy companies like Petrol are tackling the technological and market risks of the energy transition. The company also won the award for the Most Energy Efficient Transport and Logistics Project 2022, as voted by the readers of Finance magazine. The award was for the project involving the installation of the electricity storage solution and the fast-charging stations at the Kozina point of sale, which took place last autumn.
The 24th Energy Days, held in Portorož from 11 to 12 April 2022, covered all the latest energy topics ranging from trends and rising energy prices to an analysis of the factors and a forecast of the future behaviour of energy markets. A number of companies presented their progress in the green transition, which has long since ceased to be a myth and become a long-term and gradual process that requires development in different areas. European Commission representative Karlis Goldstein presented the activities that the European Union is carrying out to ensure a secure, sustainable and affordable energy supply. He highlighted that the long-term goal is to move from temporary energy savings to structural energy efficiency, which will also be achieved through national energy efficiency plans.
Petrol is also aware of the importance of energy-efficient projects and the rational use of energy, which is why it started the energy transition a few years ago. Jože Bajuk, Member of the Management Board, presented Petrol’s vision in this area, where investments in renewable energy represent an important part. As the generation of electricity from RES is one of its strategic activities for its future development, the Petrol Group continues to develop and implement projects for the generation of electricity from RES, both for its own needs and as a source for the sale of electricity. Furthermore, by investing in RES generation, the Group also contributes to Europe’s energy self-sufficiency and reduces its carbon footprint. In 2021, the Group produced 100 GWh of energy, while the plan for 2022 is to produce 160–170 GWh, enough to power over 50,000 average households.
Transport, as one of the key polluters, also plays an important role in reducing our carbon footprint. This is why Petrol is focusing a lot of its activities on the development of sustainable mobility. The first charging stations for electric vehicles were installed back in 2012 and now play a key role in the breakthrough of mass electric mobility in Slovenia, including when it comes to the availability of the electric charging infrastructure. Last autumn, a pilot electricity storage solution and two ultra-fast charging stations were installed at the Kozina point of sale, which will make electric car journeys even easier in the future.
