Christian Nereus Grant takes over as chairman of the board at Nordic Folkecenter and replaces former MP, Ole Vagn Christensen, after many years as chairman and member of the Folkecenter board.
58 year old Christian Nereus Grant, wave power developer, is the new chairman of Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy. Christian originally came to Thy as site manager for the testing of the WaveStar project at Hanstholm and was later connected to DanWec – the national wave energy center also in Hanstholm. Today Christian runs his own wave power enterprise as well as guiding energy tours at the national testcenter for large wind turbines in Østerild, Thy. As a developer, Christian came in touch with thre Nordic Folkecenter.
– It was a bit of an epiphany. Imagine that such a place exists where people from blacksmiths and other small companies to data geeks and inventors can to get help with testing and development of the many ideas that all to often end up in a desk drawer, says Christian Nereus Grant abaut his first meeting with the Folkecenter.
Besides using the facilities at Folkecenter in his own development program, Christian has also been a member of the board for some years as vice chairman. Now he takes over as chairman.
Big shoes to fill
– Ole Vagn Christensen may not be big of stature. But he leaves some very big shoes to fill here at the Folkecenter. So it is with a bit of awe that I take over the chairman role but also with a big wish to develop the place further from the strong foundation that Ole and others have laid down an built on through 40 years, says Christian Nereus Grant.
For the new chairman it’s a question of developing the educational activities at Folkecenter, the physical facilities and exhibitions as well as the branding of Folkecenter locally and nationally.
– The test facilities at Folkecenter, the collaboration about data with companies and universities the work in developing countries together with our trainee-program that every year welcomes around 20 engineering student from around the world are some of the big strenghts in Folkecenters activities today. We should build on that to become an even better partner for development and knowledge sharing, says Christian Nereus Grant.
Folkecenter needed more than ever
The new chairman thinks that Nordic Folkecenter today is needed more than ever.
– If not now – with our climate goals in Denmark and the world’s climate severity – then when are we as society to invest in innovation and incubator environments for small and middle sizes enterprises working with renewable energy ideas?, says Christian Nereus Grant.
He therefor sees a bright future for Nordic Folkecenter.
– We have at strong foundation and a great potential for developing and modernizing the Folkecenter. It won’t be easy cause the unique spirit of the place has to live on even though the pioneers gradually retires, says Christian Nereus Grant.
The new vice-chairman of Nordic Folkecenter is Per Thostrup.
Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy is a Danish non-profit NGO which since 1983 has been working for a world on 100 percent renewable energy. NFC work together with small and middle sized enterprises, civil society organizations, research and educational centers and governmental authorities around the world. The center is places in Sdr. Ydby, Thy, Denmark and furthermore runs two test facilities for small and middle schale wind turbines and for wave power. There a 14 people woking at Nordic Folkecenter which is funded by project fundings, sales of services and the national budget of Denmark.