Cable car included in social option for Group D closed due to weather conditions
New itinerary
14:30 - Departing from Valamar Lacroma hotel by bus> Drive to Panorama breathtaking views of Dubrovnik with photo stop
> Ride back to Dubrovnik
> Dubrovnik sightseeing with entrance to Franciscan monastery and old pharmacy, short stop for drinks, free time
18:15 – 18:30 Drive back to Valamar Lacroma HotelThe Draghi Report and Europe's Industrial Transition Amid Transport Electrification: Does the EU Have an Industrial Future?
Moderator: Prof. Neven Duić
As Europe accelerates its industrial transformation in response to climate imperatives and geopolitical shifts, the Draghi Report offers a strategic blueprint for revitalizing competitiveness through innovation, investment, and integration. This panel explores the implications of the Draghi Report in the context of the electrification of transport—a sector at the heart of Europe's decarbonization challenge. European industry was based for many years on internal combustion engine car exports, at least partially thanks to deceitful emissions accounting. We will examine how the transition to electric mobility reshapes industrial value chains, from battery manufacturing and critical raw materials to grid infrastructure and digital platforms. The discussion will be framed by insights from the CAETS 2024 report on the decarbonization of transport, which underscores the urgency of coordinated policy and systems-level thinking to achieve net-zero goals.
The energy transition and decarbonization are topics of fundamental importance, not only to address climate change but also as key factors in enabling socioeconomic development. However, the uptake of low carbon technologies, and in particular the electrification of the transport sector, brings new challenges. These include increasing external vulnerabilities, pressures for social and industrial reorganization, new recycling needs for critical materials and disposal of end of life equipment. These challenges raise critical questions over the sustainability and fairness of the transition. The Draghi Report has recognized the pressing need for strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness, but this should not happen at the expense of equity and social inclusion values. This calls for the integration of social and justice dimensions into systems-based transition models to support more informed decision-making and to secure an effective, resilient, and future oriented European industry.
Nuclear in an Integrated Energy Transition: Compatibility with High VRE and Sector Coupling
Moderator: Prof. Felipe Feijoo
Achieving deep decarbonization demands careful whole-system energy planning that looks beyond the power sector to coordinated actions across electricity, fuels, heat, industry, mobility, and water. As wind and solar costs continue to fall, many economies will operate with high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE). Managing variability, seasonal swings, and resource adequacy will hinge on flexible technologies and sector integration, fostering power-to-X pathways, electromobility with smart charging, demand response, and storage. This panel focuses on when and how nuclear energy can complement high-VRE systems by delivering low-carbon capacity and improved operational flexibility. Some questions to be discussed include, among others, under what conditions can nuclear complement VRE while providing the flexibility required by modern grids? What is the credible range of operational adaptability (e.g., load-following and ramping) and how does it affect asset lifetimes, maintenance, and economics? How does nuclear compare (on risk-adjusted costs, delivery certainty, and system value) to alternative flexible options? To what extent can nuclear support sector integration (non-electric uses such as heat and fuels) and what trade-offs arise in terms of water use, siting constraints, waste governance, licensing timelines, workforce needs, and social acceptance?
In Europe today, different concepts exist regarding the role of nuclear in individual countries. Examples include Germany, where nuclear energy has been phased out; France, where it plays a key role; and my country – Poland. The construction of the Żarnowiec nuclear power plant was stopped in the 1990s. Today, Poland's Energy Policy and the National Energy and Climate Plan emphasize the construction of new units, with a projected capacity of approximately 6,000 MW from large-scale nuclear units by 2040.
This is occurring amidst the intensive development of intermittent renewable sources. Currently, we can observe periods of production capacity exceeding the demands of national energy systems, leading to the need to shut down some of these sources. This is accompanied by the growing curtailment of renewable energy generation. Remedies include the construction of energy storage facilities and the use of various technologies for managing excess renewable energy (such as power-to-fuel, power-to-heat, etc.).
Nuclear reactors are highly sensitive to load changes. They should be operated at or near their full capacity. Therefore, measures to improve their flexibility is crucial. A prime example of past investments is the Polish project for a nuclear power plant and a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Żarnowiec. The nuclear power plant was never completed, but the pumped-storage hydroelectric power station has been in operation since 1983 (the largest in Poland, with a pumping capacity 800 MW and a turbine capacity of 716 MW). In Germany, the world's first CAES plant, Huntorf (commissioned in 1978), was built to support the Unterweser nuclear power plant. The nuclear unit was shut down in 2011, and the Huntorf power plant continues to operate after being modernized.
A new proposal was presented in the paper: Enhancing Grid Stability with Renewable Energy Sources by Integrating Thermal Energy Storage into Nuclear Power Plants for Load Balancing with my participation during current SDEWES conference. This study evaluates the feasibility of integrating steam accumulator-based thermal energy storage (TES) into the nuclear power plant secondary circuit to enable intraday grid stabilization, addressing renewable energy source intermittency in Poland’s projected 2040 energy system. The proposed TES would be charged with steam produced in steam generator (SG), accounting for the pressure losses in the SG-to-TES and TES-to-turbine connecting pipelines. The estimated round-trip efficiency of such a system would be about 79.5%, lower than for typical lithium-ion battery storage (about 85%) with comparable capacity, but significantly (over 3 times) less expensive.
The results of the analysis demonstrate that the TES-NPP system can prevent about 377 GWh of annual renewable energy curtailment with an installed nuclear capacity of 6,200 MW under Poland’s projected energy generation scenario for 2040. This result, while modest, demonstrates the method’s effectiveness.
In an effort to decarbonise their energy systems, several countries have declared intentions to triple their nuclear power capacity by 2050 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties 28. The expansion of nuclear power includes plans for so-called small modular reactors, intended for electricity generation as well as combined heat and power production. This study aims to demonstrate the cost differences between nuclear-based and renewables-based energy-industry systems using the Finnish energy system as a case study. Four nuclear power expansion scenarios are examined, imposing 13.2 GW of nuclear power capacity into Finland’s energy supply mix, with various capacities of small- and large-scale nuclear power plants alongside combined heat and power production from small-scale nuclear plants. These nuclear tripling scenarios are compared to a reference scenario that simulates a free cost optimisation with zero emissions target. The nuclear scenarios show 71-84% higher annualised system cost of 18.4-19.7 b€ compared to a renewables-based system costing 10.7 b€ in 2050. The reference scenario does not include the installation of new nuclear power capacities, indicating that new nuclear power plants are not part of a cost-optimal system. Additionally, the energy-industry system outlined in the reference scenario possesses fewer risks compared to nuclear tripling scenarios, particularly given that SMR technologies are not yet commercially available. The findings have important implications for energy justice, especially in terms of the significant opportunity cost presented by the nuclear decarbonisation pathway.
Nuclear energy is one of the components of the current and future energy mix. However, its use is first chosen as a consequence of security. Nuclear energy is available in Countries that actually select the nuclear deterrence as one of the ways of diplomacy or they are directly connected to larger Countries that made this choice. Hence, nuclear energy is actually a viable option for those Countries that already have it. Economics for the unique energy use is not competitive with renewables for a Country that would like to start from scratch. The LCOE has kept competitive mainly by increasing the lifetime of existing plants as well as the lack of distinguish univocally the supply for only civil and only military purpose. Italy is one of the Country looking at establishing a nuclear power park made of SMR, AMR and nuclear fusion but a superficial energy policy seems to not make it real when added to the previously mentioned constraints.
Based on research and system analys on smart energy systems, renewable energy and nuclear power, main insights are that renewables and nuclear power both can provide CO2 free electricity that both benefit from sector coupling and smart energy systems. However they are also competing technologies in electricity markets due. This provides a situation where the current large investment costs of nuclear make it unfavourable to renewable energy in combination with sector coupling principles from system analysis perspective.
Key references for the foundation of this position are:
Thellufsen, J. Z., Lund, H., Mathiesen, B. V., Østergaard, P. A., Sorknæs, P., Nielsen, S., Madsen, P. T., & Andresen, G. B. (2024). Cost and system effects of nuclear power in carbon-neutral energy systems. Applied Energy, 371, Artikel 123705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123705
Lund, H., Østergaard, P. A., Yuan, M., Sorknæs, P., & Thellufsen, J. Z. (2025). Energy balancing and storage in climate-neutral smart energy systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 209, Artikel 115141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.115141
Making Housing More Affordable: How can New European Bauhaus help?
Moderator: Prof. Goran Krajačić
The New European Bauhaus movement is looking to implement innovative approaches for sustainable, inclusive, beautiful, and affordable housing. Much is asked from urban living space. It needs to become more climate resilient, aesthetically pleasing and contribute to the well-being of all inhabitants. How can we make sure it is still affordable? How can construction, renovation, and retrofitting be managed to avoid massive increase of housing prices? These ambitions were strongly reaffirmed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2025 State of the Union Speech. The European Green Deal will leave no one behind. Is this so? Or does reality reveal inequalities and inevitable trade-offs, creating ‘winners and losers’? This inspiring lecture will:
Time schedule
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ESEIA Lecture Series 09 October 2025, 20:15-22:15 CET
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20:15-20:30, Welcome Statements |
Goran Krajačić, Brigitte Hasewend |
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20:30-21:00, Lecture |
Sorcha Edwards |
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21:00-21:15, Response 1 |
Stefan Moser |
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21:15-21:30, Response 2 |
To be confirmed |
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21:30-21:55, Panel Discussion |
Chaired by Goran Krajačić |
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21:55-22:05, Q&A |
All participants |
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22:05 – 22.15, Conclusion |
Goran Krajačić |
Urban areas can provide crucial opportunities in the transition towards climate neutrality while contributing to the well-being of all inhabitants, including through affordable housing. There are also relevant insights to be considered when there are synergies across policies that can reinforce the other for enabling decarbonisation and sustainable development. This contribution to the panel will discuss and provide related perspectives with the following key messages: First, it is important that affordable housing is combined with opportunities where accessibility and sustainability within the urban area is realised, including through integrated urban planning. Second, revenues that may be derived from other climate mitigation policies can support the implementation of these actions and increase public support, while avoiding carbon lock-in. Third, urban actions towards climate neutrality are already involving measures to ensure affordable and environmentally friendly housing, also taking into account distributional effects that need to be diffused. The contribution will conclude with additional reflections from the panel towards providing examples and actionable recommendations.
