A point is drawn on the horizon: by 2050, there must be 95% less CO2 emissions worldwide than in 1990. So also in the Netherlands.
How do we achieve this goal?

Climate plan/legislation

After a year of tussling over the climate plan with purely interest groups (the only scientist quit in disappointment), the government has drafted a climate law with a decentralised approach. The Netherlands is divided into 30 regions, each of which has to draw up a Regional Energy Strategy (RES), which had to be submitted as a first draft to the National Platform RES on 1 October 2020. This should indicate how energy transition will be shaped in those regions. Each RES must map sustainable generation for that region. Offshore wind should not be included. The first assessment by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency states that far too little wind energy is included in RESs. "The power grid can't handle it".

It is clear that talking and poldering are not going to deliver timely solutions. Instead of talking from assumptions and self-interest, it is now high time for scientific knowledge and expertise regarding what is and is not possible and/or desirable. KIVI Department of Electrical Engineering gives its vision.

Delta plan

The Regional Energy Strategy (RES) causes a very fragmented policy. Very many bodies have to invent the same wheel. This costs a lot of time, money and does not result in an integrated plan.

Team Hydrogen wants to take a different route to that goal. Team Hydrogen of KIVI Section E advocates a Delta Plan in the same way as the Delta Works were realised, i.e. central direction with room for local specifications.

This new Delta Plan will include not only generation, but above all transport and storage of sustainable energy. The gas network is already in place and will reach every corner of the Netherlands. Why break up that gas grid and lay a new electricity grid in its place? This involves high costs and all the streets have to be opened up. The electricity grid is actually very unstable, but due to excellent control systems in the Netherlands, it is so stable that electricity is almost always available. But if the load increases extremely and becomes highly variable due to, for instance, solar panels, electric cars and heat pumps, solid integral plans should be made for this in cooperation with the grid companies.

Hydrogen

Our Team now wants to take the right path for the future and advocates hydrogen as an energy carrier. "Hydrogen is expensive" is said. But there are several studies predicting much higher efficiency from electrolysis. We are still at the beginning of in-depth Research & Development here.If developments over the next 10 years are as fast as solar panels, then a big efficiency improvement can be expected and the technologies will soon become cheaper.

The widely meshed gas grid (of Gasunie) can be made suitable for transporting hydrogen at relatively low cost and also allows long-term storage of energy (from summer to winter), while batteries are suitable for short-term storage (e.g. day/night).

Convert offshore wind energy largely into hydrogen and bring it on land. Further distribution towards industry and households goes through the existing gas grid. Hydrogen central heating boilers can be installed in older existing houses, whether or not in hybrid versions.

Symposium Hydrogen in NL: Energy for the near future?

This symposium will discuss the gas and electricity networks, the first experiences with a district heated by hydrogen boilers, and the possibilities of other systems for converting electricity to hydrogen at higher efficiency than conventional electrolysis.

The chairman of the day will be Mr Arjen Boesveld Hogeschool Utrecht, lecturer and researcher in sustainable energy

The speakers are:

1st Speaker: ir. Adriaan de Bakker Gasunie, senior Advisor Strategy Part 1: https://youtu.be/DhFQFwhcVhY

2nd Speaker: drs Kees Boer project leader Nijstad-Oost district in Hoogeveen with "Heating d.m.v. hydrogen." Part 2: https://youtu.be/NLWgSYVoyuw

3rd Speaker: Prof. F.M.(Fokke) Mulder of TU Delft, Technical Physics with "New systems under development in converting electricity into hydrogen."

Forum discussion: above speakers and ir. Kees den Blanken led by chairman of the day ir. Arjen Boesveld. Part 4: https://youtu.be/8qRE3TyMImE

For further Information, graarg mail to ir. Evert-Jan Bouvy by e-mail ej@bouvy.info

The three files (1, 2 and 4) are also on the KIVI YouTube channel



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