Allianz WärmeZukunft @ 3rd The Energy Bridge Forum

Das dritte The Energy Bridge Forum findet am 2. und 3. Juni 2026 in Wien statt. Die Allianz WärmeZukunft wird im Rahmen der Konferenz am 3. Juni zwei Sessions gestalten.

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Allianz WärmeZukunft  -  Ludwig.Fliesser@greenenergylab.at

Überbrückung der Implementierungslücke: In diesem Jahr geht The Energy Bridge über die Strategie hinaus – hin zur Umsetzung. Im Mittelpunkt beim 3rd The Energy Bridge Forum, das am 2. und 3. Juni 2026 stattfindet, steht das Trilemma der Energiewende: rechtlich, finanziell & technisch. Dabei werden am 3. Juni 2026 zwei Sessions von Green Energy Lab und AEE INTEC zur Transformation des Wärme- und Kältesektors im Rahmen der Allianz WärmeZukunft – Österreichs offizielles Innovationslabor für die Wärmewende, gefördert durch den Klima- und Energiefonds aus Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Innovation, Mobilität und Infrastruktur, gestaltet.

>> Hier finden Sie weitere Informationen und die Anmeldung.

Programmpunkte der Allianz WärmeZukunft am 3. Juni:

• Opening Statement der Allianz WärmeZukunft (Andrea Edelmann, Green Energy Lab)
• Keynote: The Future of District Heating in Central and Eastern Europe: Transformation, Innovation, Decarbonisation (Ralf-Roman Schmidt, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology)
• Keynote: Thermal energy storage as the backbone of decarbonised district heating — technologies, scale, and the Austrian activities (Gerald Zotter, AEE INTEC)
• Large Heat Pumps for Decarbonisation of District Heating in Vienna (Georg Danzinger, Wien Energie)
• Geothermal Energy for District Heating Networks (Helene Mooslechner, deeep Tiefengeothermie GmbH)
• From River to Heat: EVN’s River-Water Heat Pump Projects in Dürnrohr and Korneuburg (Thomas Gröbl, EVN Wärmekraftwerke GmbH)

1. Foto: © AIT / Krischanz; 2. Foto: © AEE INTEC 5. Foto: © ABC Fotodesign

Panel-Discussion: How to decarbonise the heating sector?

• Topics:
  • What is needed to achieve a successful transformation of the heating and cooling sector?
  • How can technological and systemic innovation accelerate and strengthen the decarbonisation of heating and cooling?
  • How can the energy industry and public authorities collaborate more effectively to speed up decarbonisation?
• Panelist: Jürgen Schneider (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management)
  • Jürgen Schneider is the Director General of the Directorate-General Climate at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management. He holds a phD in chemistry. Before joining the Ministry 2018, he was spokesman and member of the management board of the Environment Agency Austria. He lead the work on climate change and energy at the Environment Agency Austria for more than a decade. From 2002 to 2004 he worked at the World Health Organisation as a project manager in the field of environment and health. He is also co-editor of the first Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change.
• Panelist: Henriette Spyra (Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure)
  • Henriette Spyra has been serving as Director General at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure since 2021 following a two-year-term as Director Science & Innovation at the Austrian Environment Agency. As an innovation and mobility expert she looks back at a 15 year career in various public sector positions as well as research institutions. She is member of the supervisory board at AIT Austrian Institute of Technology as well as SAL Silicon Austria Labs. She also serves as co-president of the Climate & Energy Fund. A stubborn optimist Henriette enjoys bridging the worlds of policy, technology, sustainability and innovation. Originally from East Berlin, Henriette believes in falling walls. She holds degrees from the University of Oxford as well as the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
• Panelist: Linda Kirchberger (Wien Energie GmbH, Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH)
  • Linda Kirchberger studied Applied Geophysics at the University of Leoben and has 20 years of experience in the oil & gas industry. Most recently, she headed the Exploration & Production Technology Center & Laboratory as well as the New Technologies department at OMV. In August 2022, she took on the Business Unit Asset Decarbonization & New Technologies at Wien Energie (WE) and is responsible for the decarbonization of district heating through geothermal energy, large heat pumps and seasonal storage and building up green hydrogen projects along the entire value chain. In addition, her business unit is developing CCUS & Phosphorus Recycling and manages the overall R&D activities at Wien Energie. Also, Linda is one of the two managing directors of Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH since March 2023.
• Panelist: Teresa Pachernegg (Energie AG Oberösterreich)
  • Teresa Pachernegg has many years of experience in the energy sector, with a focus on energy management, sales, trading operations, strategic marketing and technical management. She studied Energy and Environmental Management and holds an Executive MBA in General Management. After starting her career in the industrial energy technology sector, she held several positions at VNG Austria and Wien Energie, including senior leadership roles in Sales & Marketing, Telecommunications and New Business Fields. Most recently, she served as Division Manager Sales & Marketing. Since June 2025, she has been leading Technical Management at Energie AG Oberösterreich, focusing on the interface between technology, strategy and implementation, with particular emphasis on security of supply, circulartiy, sustainable solutions, innovation and future-ready energy infrastructure.
• Host: Andrea Edelmann (Green Energy Lab)
  • Dr. Andrea Edelmann is the chairwoman and spokesperson of the Executive Board of "Green Energy Lab". She heads up the Group Function ‘Innovation & Sustainability’ within the EVN Group. The graduate technical chemist is a graduate of the Stanford LEAD program in Corporate Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she also works as an ambassador and she is a certified Design Thinking Coach.

1. Foto: © Green Energy Lab / Stephanie Weinhappel; 2. Foto: © H.Ringhofer; 3. Foto: © Luiza Puiu; 4. Foto: © Ian Ehm

• Austria's pioneer cities: A national mission to accelerate urban climate neutrality (Helmut Strasser, SIR)
• Spatial heat planning for municipalities: GIS-based tools, pilot communities, and the road to a framework in Austria (Franz Mauthner, AEE INTEC)
• Spatial Energy Planning in Action: Designing Integrated Energy Systems at the Municipal and Regional Level (Helmut Strasser, SIR – Salzburger Institut für Raumordnung und Wohnen)
• Graz's climate action plan in practice (Christian Nußmüller, Stadt Graz)

Panel-Discussion: Transition in cities: Closing the gap between ambition, heat planning, investment, and implementation

• Topic: Cities across Europe are setting bold climate targets — yet translating ambition into action remains a persistent challenge. This panel explores why the gap between planning, finance and real-world implementation is hard to close, and what it takes to move from strategy to scalable solutions on the ground.
• Panelist: Mag. Christian Nußmüller (City of Graz)
• Panelist: Herbert Hetzel (Beyond Carbon Energy)
  • Herbert Hetzel has been working in the real estate industry for over 30 years and discovered his passion for zero-emission heating and cooling solutions about 15 years ago. Through BCE Beyond Carbon Energy Holding GmbH, the company he founded, he is consistently driving forward the decarbonization of energy supply in the building sector. The company designs, plans, implements, finances, and operates sustainable heating and cooling solutions for existing and new buildings, making maximum use of local renewable resources. In addition, BCE also supports building retrofits as a reliable planning and implementation partner. Hetzel’s vision: a climate-friendly and future-proof energy supply for the entire building stock.
• Panelist: Dr. Andreas Köttl (nxt real estate)
  • Dr. Andreas Köttl is Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of nxt real estate. He has over 30 years of professional experience in the real estate industry, most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer at value one holding AG for 13 years. He is also President of the Association of Austrian Project Developers (VÖPE) and President of the Austrian Society for Sustainable Real Estate (ÖGNI).
• Panelist: tbd.
• Host: Carina Seidnitzer-Gallien (AEE INTEC)

>> Hier finden Sie weitere Informationen und die Anmeldung.