Cape-to-cape biker made it to Copenhagen

It’s been nearly one month and 2,000 km since we’ve checked in with Gijs Stevers, a University of Copenhagen alumnus with the ambitious plan to bike from North Cape in Norway, to Cape of Good Hope in South Africa on an electric powered bike – a total distance of 22,000 km. The University Post was able to catch up with Gijs on our home turf here in Denmark, about 2,500 km into his journey.

To read more about his initial progress and route, check out our article Copenhagen graduate begins cape-to-cape ride.

For some, biking across harsh terrains, weather conditions and unstable political situations may be enough, but Gijs, a graduate in environmental and natural resource economics, is also a enthusiast of sustainable and renewable energy. In line with his project goals, Gijs has already visited five sustainable energy locations including a hydropower plant in Sweden built in 1923, and the renewable energy island Samsø, here in Denmark.

Spontaneous sustainable sites

His biking route has been outlined, but Gijs has been quite spontaneous about planning the renewable energy site trips. While on the road, he talks to locals and researches sites he’d like to visit, usually contacting the place only one or two days in advance. This enables him to get the inside scoop on the sites most important to the places he passes through.

Such spontaneity has even led him to meeting Martin Lidegaard, the minister of Climate, Energy and Buildings here in Denmark. Gijs and the minister discussed Denmark’s future plans for renewable energy. Martin Lidegaard »might even be more excited about our renewable energy future (and biking) than me,« says Gijs’ on his website.

To read more about the visit, you can refer to this ministry article (in Danish) here, which also has Gijs posing with the minister..

His favorite places so far, however have been in Sweden. Gijs visited a small wind farm of 30-40 turbines in Katrineholm where locals and visitors can come to learn about solar cells and wind energy. Göteborg was also a favorite. »It was really cool to check out a vertical axis wind turbine,« says Gijs. »This is a new kind of turbine that has little noise and maintenance. I even tested it out by sleeping quite soundly under it for an night.«

chloe.deanna.williams@adm.ku.dk

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