The Energy Transition Symposium (ETSymp) has officially begun, aiming to explore the role of Molten Salt technologies in achieving the goals set out in the National Energy and Climate Plan. The initiative, promoted by the SALTOpower project consortium, also seeks to assess the industrial development and export potential arising from the application of existing or emerging industrial capabilities to these innovative solutions.

The first phase of the symposium is taking place online, with each project partner hosting national sessions in Portugal, Italy, and Germany. Participants are invited to respond to a shared set of questions in each country, covering topics such as perceptions of the SALTOpower technology, market regulation, industrial leadership, value chains, technological impact and promotion strategies.

In Portugal, the session was organised by the local team, Leonel Alegre, Dominique Livreiro and Pedro Horta (University of Évora), with the presence of Marco D’Auria and Eckhard Luepfert (project partners). Following a brief presentation of the SALTOpower project, participants contributed a wide range of insights that were later prioritised through a voting process. Notable contributions came from experts such as Cipriano Lomba (EFACEC), Paulo Partidário (DGEG), Sara Freitas (APREN), Paulo Brito (IPP) and Raul Bonito and Pedro Matos (CapWatt).

These ideas will form the foundation for conclusions to be compared and discussed during the international day of the symposium, after the national sessions in Germany and Italy are completed.

This exchange of perspectives is expected to provide valuable input for strategic recommendations at the European level, highlighting the innovative potential of SALTOpower technology within the broader context of the energy transition and decarbonisation.