Description

The Netherlands has a rich tradition when it comes to developing its mineral resources. Extraction of coal, salt, petroleum and natural gas have provided our country with great economic benefits. In our pursuit of sustainable energy sources, we are mostly looking at exploiting the subsoil. Innovations in recent years include geothermal heat extraction, heat/cold storage, wastewater from industry and temporary storage of natural gas or compressed air. These activities are increasing substantially in number. Future developments such as shale gas extraction and CO2 or radioactive waste storage are already heavily debated in the public debate.

Many of the above activities take place in the deep subsurface, but the subsurface has also been given a function at a lesser depth. Think of our drinking water extraction, the extraction of primary building materials or building underground infrastructure and facilities. Increasingly, new initiatives touch these existing functions. So it is getting busy in the underground!

The question can therefore be asked whether there are limits to this use; how do we determine priorities when there are multiple use options for the same area and what is the relationship with the topsoil? For our above-ground activities, spatial planning is laid down in laws and regulations. This planning is highly refined and coordinated. We plan residential areas, infrastructure, industry, agriculture and nature. These laws and structures have made the Netherlands malleable. For the use of our subsurface, these planning principles are missing. Moreover, the subsurface is not engineerable, but dependent on geology. You cannot move a salt dome or gas field.

For underground activities, the central question is "What can go where?". Next is the question "What do we want where?". Often these are answered in the wrong order, based on initiatives that emerge. Besides these questions, the public interest should also be weighed. What do the activities mean for the economic interest and strategic stocks of the Netherlands. These questions and our search for new and sustainable underground energy sources require a transparent decision model to make choices for the various activities in the subsurface. The national government is developing this decision model in a Structural Vision for the Deep Underground

17:45 Reception with sandwiches, coffee and tea
18:20 Welcome and introduction by Martijn van Houten
(board member KIVI NIRIA Department of Environmental Engineering/Food and Green)
18:30 Exploiting our soil treasures
by Prof. Rien Herber (RUG)
19:15 pm Weighing up and organising our subsoil
by Ir. Tanno Verburg (Ministry I&M)
20:00 pm Break with coffee and tea
20:15 pm Conversation and discussion with the participants
20:45 pm Opportunity to chat and network over drinks

Speaker(s)

About these developments, KIVI NIRIA is organising a meeting with Mr Prof Rien Herber (professor of Geo-energy, Groningen University) and Mr Tanno Verburg (project leader Structuurvisie Ondergrond, Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment) as speakers. Their speeches will address the remaining reserves and options for exploitation of the Dutch subsurface and the intention to make a Structural Vision for the Subsurface by the national government. During this meeting, not only the technical/economic aspects will be discussed, but also the usefulness, necessity and public acceptance associated with their exploitation

Location

KIVI NIRIA Building

Prinsessegracht 23, 2514 AP The Hague

Organiser

Mining

Sustainable Technology

Name and contact details for information

Martijn van Houten

m.vhouten@witteveenbos.nl

Article Soil war from De Volkskrant