Tue, May 29, 2012
JONKOPING, Sweden, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Bioenergy and biofuels are not remnants of the past but vital for the world's future, said a Swedish minister on Tuesday.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Bioenergy Conference 2012 in Jonkoping, southern Sweden, Anna-Karin Hatt, minister for information technology and energy, said, "We know that our pattern of energy consumption must change."
Bioenergy became a must for the development of the Swedish society since about 1,000 years ago when Swedes relied on burning wood during the cold winter, said Hatt, adding that bioenergy accounts one third of energy supply in Sweden nowadays and there is still room for supply expansion of bioenergy.
Developing bioenergy could also be viable in other countries with favourable conditons, said the minister.
"We are home to a multitude of companies in the bioenergy sector and many of the companies here, in Jonkoping and on the World Bioenergy display, hold solutions for the future," said Hatt.
Over 550 companies and organizations from across the world participated in the conference where trade fair, matchmaking and conference sessions were held to build up cooperation and the knowledge on the development of world's bioenergy.
The World Bioenergy Conference was first held in 2004 and usually organized every second year in Jonkoping by the Swedish Bioenergy Association.
