"Energy Circle" Partners Gather in Zemgale for the Third In-Person Meeting to Boost Community Energy Independence

The meeting marked an important milestone in advancing circular economy practices and strengthening energy independence for businesses and local communities across the Baltic Sea Region.

Practical Insights: Energy Production in Zemgale

One of the highlights of the meeting was the opportunity for project partners to explore real-life examples of sustainable energy production in Zemgale. Participants visited a local biogas plant, gaining practical insights into renewable energy generation and circular resource management.

The delegation also toured the facility responsible for Jelgava’s district heating system, where they observed how large-scale energy solutions are implemented and managed in practice. These site visits demonstrated how theoretical circular economy concepts can be successfully translated into real operational models within the local business environment.

During the meeting, partners worked intensively on Solution 2 – the Methodology for the Energy Circle Roadmap, refining the structure of the Energy Independence Roadmap and discussing the specific challenges faced by each participating region.

Although the regions involved in the project have different contexts and resources, partners recognized that many of the barriers to achieving energy security are shared across the region. The roadmap approach therefore aims to combine common strategic understanding with locally adapted solutions. This ensures that the final outcomes will not be generic frameworks, but practical strategies tailored to the specific needs, resources, and opportunities of each community.

During the meeting project partners also focused on validating the Methodology for the Energy Circle Builder Competence Analysis in the Baltic Sea Region, an important step toward strengthening the skills and knowledge needed to support local energy transition processes.

Next steps:

The meeting concluded with a clear action plan for knowledge capitalization and communication, ensuring that project results will remain accessible, visible, and useful for target groups – public authorities and business support organizations and the wider public.

The next in-person partner meeting will take place on 7–8 September 2026 in Tartu, Estonia.

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