Representatives from Cres, Hvar and Korčula and the Island Movement participated in a study trip to the island of Samsø from April 8 to 10 as part of the ISLET project
The goal of this trip was to learn and exchange knowledge among partners from the Mediterranean countries of Croatia, Italy, Greece and Malta, along with hosts from Denmark. The island of Samsø, known for its successful energy transition, served as an ideal location for learning about renewable energy sources and an integrated approach to the development of energy communities.
The ISLET project is financed by the LIFE program of the European Union. It started on October 1, 2023 and is going to last for three years. It is focused on the development of innovative support schemes for community-led energy transition on small islands in the Mediterranean Sea.
The main goal of the project is to encourage cooperation between public authorities, private investors and citizens in creating energy communities that use renewable energy sources.
The study visit included a series of educational activities and workshops on the topic of the active involvement of community members in project planning and development of island communities. Numerous models of active communication and strategic planning were presented. Numerous discussions and sharing of experiences from different European islands were encouraged. The workshops also included discussions of regulatory and political obstacles regarding the role of energy communities in the clean energy transition.
Samsø Energy Academy leaders presented key elements of their clean energy transition, including planning principles, challenges, local reactions, successes and failures, as well as the socioeconomic benefits that have resulted from these projects. Participants also met local stakeholders, investors and members of cooperatives, and gained an understanding of the driving forces and motivations of island stakeholders to actively engage in the transition.
In addition, the participants were shown on the ground successful projects that have been developed on the island since 1997 – wind farms at sea and on land, straw district heating plants, wood chip and solar heat district heating plants, electrification of public transport and a smart marina equipped photovoltaic panels and battery system.
By participating in this event everyone had the opportunity to see in person the importance of energy projects that were implemented on the island, to learn everything about the process of community involvement and engagement, as well as to learn useful tools that they will be able to apply in their communities and to use in the implementation of the energy transition on their islands. The study trip to Samsø laid the foundations for the development of the islands where the participants operate, to involve the entire community in the energy transition.
The study visit included a meeting of project partners whose aim was to set goals for the next period of project implementation. Afterwards the partners announced their next meeting, as well as a conference on energy communities which will be held in October on the island of Cres. The conference will be organized by the City of Cres, the island’s development agency OTRA, the energy cooperative Apsyrtides, The Island Movement and the European Network of Small Islands ESIN.
The ISLET project is co-funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.
Author: The Island Movement
Photos: The Island Movement