EF-TEC and the Dutch engineering company Ekwadraat have developed a new strategy for cooperation in the Russian and Dutch markets.
During a series of joint strategic seminars held in the Netherlands during September 2013, the parties discussed the prospects of using the engineering know-how and technologies that Ekwadraat and their Dutch partners possess in abundance on the Russian market.
Ekwadraat is the leading engineering and consulting company in the Netherlands in the field of biogas technologies and biomass processing. The company has already implemented its first project in this area in Russia, but further development will be possible after Russian regulators adopt regulations to support biogas power engineering.
Ekwadraat, as a company originally established to implement projects in the field of small-scale power generation and energy saving, has advanced competencies in this area. An important component of the company's business is the creation of innovative concepts of energy supply to urban areas, business parks, technology parks, logistics centers, etc. based on small-scale distributed generation. During the development of such concepts, special attention is paid to accurate forecasting of future energy consumption, taking into account seasonal and daily irregularities and in-depth detailing (up to the analysis for each building). The most efficient combinations of different electricity, heat and cooling generation technologies are developed, which may include the use of electricity and heat storage, as well as the natural storage capacity of buildings. EF-TEC and Ekwadraat already have experience of successful cooperation in a similar project in Russia. Future plans are to expand the application of these competencies for the benefit of Russian clients interested in building the most efficient energy infrastructure for their development projects.
Ekwadraat has implemented dozens of projects in wind, solar and geothermal energy as well as energy savings in buildings, agriculture and industry. The city of Leeuwarden, where Ekwadraat is headquartered, has been selected as European Capital of Culture 2018. The city authorities have set an ambitious target of completely phasing out fossil fuel energy by 2020. Ekwadraat is the administration's strategic partner in achieving this goal.
EF-TEK and Ekwadraat also discussed the progress of the Dutch company's entry into EF-TEK LLC. The process will be completed by the end of 2013.
Successful implementation of the new cooperation strategy will be greatly facilitated by internships for managers of EF-TEK and Ekwadraat, which are conducted within the framework of the Presidential Management Training Program and the Year of Russia - Holland 2013. In September 2013, Yuri Melnikov, Director for Development of EF-TEK, took part in an internship in the Netherlands, and in October-November 2013, Mark van Seventer, Director for International Projects of Ekwadraat, will take part in an internship in Russia.
