INTERVIEW
Moravian-Silesian Region from
Daniel Beneš’s point of view
Daniel Beneš, MBA, General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Directors ČEZ, a.s. was
born in Havířov where he finished grammar school. He then graduated from the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Ostrava. He set off on his management path as
a decision-maker in leading companies in the Moravian-Silesian Region. In 2004 Mr Beneš joined
ČEZ, a.s., and in 2011 he became the CEO. Being a representative of one of the greatest Czech
companies, and based on his achievements as a manager, he was elected Vice-President of the
Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and awarded Manager of the Year 2014.
The continuing development of the Czech economy
affects the needs of the market, including power, heat
and gas supplies as well as production and consumption
profiles.The nature of industrial production in the
Moravian-Silesian Region is also changing: energy
savings and ecology are emphasized, the importance
of fossil fuels in the energy mix is decreasing while the
use of renewable resources and decentralized power
production is increasing. What are your visions and
projects in these spheres?
The production of energy nowadays is going through
the most significant changes in the past 50 years. Europe
has decided to gradually turn its policies toward clean
resources. We all want better quality air to breathe; that
is good news for the Moravian-Silesian Region because
its air pollution often comes from the Czech Republic
and Poland as well. It is a global trend aiming at the
struggle against climate change which is more and more
frequently seen in the Czech Republic. ČEZ does not shy
away: we have supported the Paris Agreement, and we
have promised to reduce emissions per megawatt hour
by 46 % by 2020. In 2050 we want all the energy in the
Czech Republic to be produced from zero emission
sources. Technological progress is rapid, and I sincerely
believe that by then we will have solved all the troubles
we are nowadays facing when integrating renewable
sources in our networks.
The Czech Republic has, of course, had some bad
experience with the so-called “solar boom”, however,
none of that should happen again. I am convinced that
Czechs have learnt their lesson, moreover, the costs
of technologies is decreasing rapidly along with as
the price of energies coming from renewable sources
which have already entered competitive markets
abroad. Experience from other countries also proves
that, compared to the quite recent past, costs have
plummeted by 90 %.
My message to our industry representatives is: the
transition towards renewable sources will be gradual.
There is nothing to worry about, we just need to get
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