Summary final report'The future Dutch Full carbon-free Energy System'
The EnergyNL2050 team released the final report "The future Dutch Full carbon-free Energy System" on 6 March 2018 with the following summary:
The Dutch energy system will look quite different in 2050 from what we have today. It is very important to have a detailed view on the expected 2050 system so that an efficient transition can be defined and realised.
Many published scenarios still make use of a considerable amount of carbon fuels in 2050 which makes it difficult to arrive at the desired CO2 emission targets. It is often claimed that this cannot be achieved without the (extensive) use of CSS technology.
We have set as our goal to have a zero carbon energy system and investigate if the Netherlands can satisfy the demand largely by energy resources from the Netherlands. This design study shows that this is indeed possible. However it will necessitate big changes in how we use energy on the demand side and how we match the demand with the available energy supply. The proposed design has not been simulated but seems feasible. Nevertheless it is suggested to perform simulations in order to validate the design.
The content of the following news items and articles are possible building blocks for the consideration of promising energy transition options for making the energy systems in the Netherlands more sustainable. These items will be considered on their merits and elaborated by the KIVI Energy Expert Team, then included in the EnergyNL2050 programme. For this purpose, intensive consultation with many relevant experts will take place for knowledge and support in the elaboration. The EnergyNL2050 Team does not pretend to be complete, ex additions and reactions are therefore welcome.
Energy Now
The congresses Energy Now in 2017 and 2016 directly related to the current energy transition.
The occasion to join and to discuss, also to bring in a lot of new ideas.
The goal was to inspire, interest, and trigger students to take elegant action in the transition towards sustainable energy.
These events created a bright perspective on the energy transition by focusing on the opportunities it creates in the present rather than just on the distant future.
Promising innovations and developments in the field of energy were highlighted from different perspectives, as research, academics, companies and entrepreneurs.
The event creates the ability to strengthen the connection between students, business people and researchers.
The following documents are represented for the concepts of EnergyNL2050:
NERA
NERA has compiled "Ten Challenges" for the Energy Transition route.
Energy-related questions were initially divided between various routes in the science agenda. Wim Sinke (ECN, AMOLF, UvA) on behalf of the Dutch energy research partnership NERA and co-leaders Kornelis Blok (TUD, Ecofys) and Richard van de Sanden (DIFFER, TU/e):
We have advocated creating a separate route for the energy transition because it is one of the biggest challenges of this century with technological, societal, economic, legal and spatial challenges. It requires excellent building blocks, an integrated approach and broad support.
NERA was invited to work out the Energy Transition route and did so together with more than 200 broadly oriented experts from the research field. An intensive process of inventorying, prioritising, integrating and formulating.
2050 - An Energetic Odyssey is an installation comprising a 12-minute animation that provides answers to the seemingly simple question: 'If we take the two-degree climate target seriously, what should we do?'
The Odyssey focuses on the North Sea. The highlight of the plan are 25,000 10MW wind turbines that will be able to meet about 90 per cent of the energy demand of the North Sea countries by 2050.
The animation is a meticulous visualisation of a possible future: step by step, it takes the audience to 2050, explains what has to be done and what the underlying considerations are, and addresses energy saving and decentralised energy production and describes the impact on employment and on the ecology of the North Sea. The logistics of this mega operation are extensively discussed as well.
The collaborative production process, the presentations of interim results and the exhibition and debate during IABR-2016 have forged a consortium of actors in which offshore builders, a wind turbine manufacturer, ports and power companies, several Ministries, nature NGOs, marine ecologists, and designers have jointly reached the conclusion that yes, it can be done.
In the context of the Dutch EU Presidency, the Directors-General for Energy and subsequently the informal council of EU countries' Energy Ministers have previewed the Odyssey. The Ministers not only watched the installation, but were also inspired: the press release following the regional partnership agreement of the North Sea countries that was established during the Dutch presidency states that 'it helped that we could show our colleagues how the operation would work'.
2050-An Energetic Odyssey was produced by IABR in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Van Oord, Shell, TenneT, Zeeland Seaports, European Climate Foundation, Natuur & Milieu, RWE, Port of Rotterdam Authority and Port of Amsterdam. Concept: Maarten Hajer and Dirk Sijmons (lead designer) Research by design and animation by H+N+S Landscape Architects, Ecofys and Tungsten Pro. Hereby the link to the video's 2050 An Energetic Odyssey (short version): More information on the website of the IABR.
Electrochemical Conversion & Materials Theme Day 16 June 2017
Society is on the eve of a major energy and resource transition for the transition to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, the ambition set by the government in the Energy Agenda. This is a major challenge, especially for the traditional capital-intensive sectors, such as chemicals, refining and steel. Making this transition possible requires innovations that make a difference, VNO-NCW also states in its vision for the cabinet, NL Next Level. The exponential increase in renewable energy from wind and solar offers a significant opportunity for large-scale sustainability.
Big transition, strong foundation
The top sectors Energy, HTSM and Chemistry found that a lot is already happening at the interface of these sectors, especially related to the conversion of electricity and sunlight into products. Therefore, the top sectors, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, organised a theme day on this topic in 2017. The day gave an impression of the challenges facing companies from various sectors. The day also gave an overview of the various programmes and projects set up around this topic, often in cooperation between business, knowledge institutions and government. A symposium entitled 'Transition to a CO2-neutral industry', organised by the top energy sector, included a dialogue with business on what innovations are needed and how the Netherlands can achieve a leading position. These activities provide an ideal basis for positioning the Netherlands at national and international level by working even more closely together and closing gaps in the knowledge chain from fundamental to implementation.