1. Energy savings in the built environment
This transition path offers many quickly realizable gains. One-third of the energy consumed in the built environment in the Netherlands is lost as waste heat. The goal is to reduce this loss and reduce the energy consumption in households by 30% in 2020. This can be achieved through more efficient energy conversion, and by using external energy sources such as geo-thermal energy and industrial waste heat. In many cases, central heating boilers will be replaced by local energy generation.
Various organizations including public housing agencies, local governments, residents’ organizations and suppliers of gas and electrical energy are working together. Project developers and central heating contractors will play a crucial role.
2. Decentralized energy generation (micro and mini heat sources)
This transition path aims to drastically increase yield from fossil-fuelled power plants. This can be achieved by combining heating and cooling with generation of electricity close to the end-user, thereby decreasing transportation losses and increasing efficiency. Local micro and mini generating systems will supply the energy needs of households. In theses systems, the simultaneous use of ‘waste’ heat while generating electricity results in large savings. Such systems also increase the security of energy delivery as well as involve the public in ‘sustainable thinking’. In the Netherlands, much energy generation is already decentralized. Energy suppliers and project developers now have a large field-test planned involving many households.
3. Clean natural gas
Until renewable fuels are developed and used on a large scale, Energy Transition will continue to focus on clean generation of energy with fossil fuels. Conversion technology has recently advanced in such fields as
- combined generation of electricity and heat
- combining steam and gas turbines
- coal gasification
- application of fuel cells.
‘Clean Natural Gas’ is aiming at the ‘zero emission’ power plant. The Netherlands, with its strength in gas technology, is taking this a step further: to eliminate emissions in the entire chain, from gas production to energy consumption. This transition path spearheads the following projects:
- underground CO2 storage
- CO2 separation techniques
- fuel cells
- adding hydrogen to natural gas in combination with CO2 storage
- transition from hydrocarbons to hydrogen.
4. Green gas from biomass and hydrogen
Central to this transition path is the replacement of natural gas with biogas. In the near future, biogas can be mixed with natural gas and can be directly used for generating electricity. Besides biogas, methane can be economically won in a process known as Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM). In this process, CO2 that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere is injected into coal beds and drives the methane out which can be directly used by electricity power plants.
During the coming years, emphasis will be on applying hydrogen-powered fuel cells to produce heat and electricity. This transition path aims to replace 10% of traditional gas with ‘green’ gas by the year 2020. In 2020, hydrogen powered busses will also be running in ten large cities in the Netherlands. Hydrogen will then fuel 5% of the Dutch mobility market. The production of biogas is now a reality, and coal-bed methane production is undergoing feasibility studies.
5. Savings in the agricultural sector
More than half of The Netherlands’ gas consumption is for electricity generation. The process is, however, far from optimal and it wastes much heat. This, and other sources of waste heat, can be used by the agricultural sector, which requires a large supply of low-temperature heat.
This transition path strives to raise energy efficiency and reduce damaging emissions and, at the same time, provide the agricultural sector with its ever-increasing energy needs. This can be achieved through gas-saving techniques in greenhouses. Tapping into sources of waste heat and more efficient energy conversion systems will reduce fossil fuel consumption. The technology is already available, and this transition path will soon show great progress. The agricultural sector has already shown its willingness, and has booked dramatic advances, such as the energy-producing greenhouse. And, since 1980, it has improved its energy efficiency by 50%. The sector wants to have all new greenhouses climate-neutral by 2020.
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