Netherlands

Highlights in 2017
Highlights in 2017

 

New clean energy innovation policies and/or strategies

The Netherlands has set an ambitious CO2-reduction target of 49% in 2030, with a view on increasing the EU target for CO2-emission reduction to 55% in 2030. The Netherlands aims to set ambitious CO2-reduction targets on a sectoral level within a Climate Agreement with all relevant stakeholders, including industrial stakeholders. For each sector, the Netherlands wants to agree on a balanced and future-oriented package of instruments and measures. The Netherlands aims to create a set of mission-oriented innovation programmes that are designed to stimulate the development and market-introduction of effective CO2-reduction technologies. The Netherlands aims to finalize the general framework of the Climate Agreement by mid-2018 and develop implementation programs by the end of 2018 that will consist of a package of measures and a confined number of mission oriented programs.

Top clean energy innovation successes in 2017

The Netherlands supports energy-innovation projects through a variety of programs and collaborations. Among the most successful national programmes are the Netherlands Topsector Energy programme, the demonstration programme for energy-innovation that supports the demonstration of projects with a big potential for export and the renewable energy programme that supports early technologies to achieve cost reductions.

Among the research, development and demonstration activities that the Netherlands has delivered, we would like to highlight the following projects:

  1. Airborne wind energy under offshore conditions: a tethered aircraft that converts wind at higher altitudes into electricity.
  2. Electric high-temperature heat pump; generation of tapwater at a temperature of 65 oC in combination with high and/or low temperature heating and cooled water leading to energy savings of 40%-60%.
  3. Geothermal Directional Drilling: making it possible to efficiently develop a new spectrum of geothermal energy at a depth between 500 – 1.250 meters.

Top activities delivered in support of the Innovation Challenges in 2017

The Netherlands has initiated the development of the Comfort and Climate Box as a collaboration in a Super Annex under two IEA Technology Collaboration Platforms (TCPs) and MI Innovation Challenge 7. Integrated systems consisting of heat pumps and storage are an important technological option to accelerate the use of renewable energy for heating and cooling. By combining heat pumps and storage, several issues may be tackled, such as

  • Balancing and controlling electricity grid loads;
  • Capturing a large(r) share of renewable (local/regional) input (i.e. solar thermal, solar PV);
  • Optimizing economics, CO2-emissions, fuel use throughout time;
  • Providing optimal supply security to buildings.

Commercial development of this type of solution is progressing very slowly. This Combined Annex will accelerate market development of combined heat pump / storage packages (working title “Comfort and Climate Box”, or CCB).

This is an example for cooperation and leveraged output quality for both this Annex and IC#7. This Annex may serve to bring together several ongoing and projected research efforts, serving as a kick-starter for researching, testing and deployment of systems, giving IC#7 a head start. At the same time, external funding of the partners of this Annex is essential to achieve the highest ambitions.

Collaborations

ERANET Cofund GEOTHERMICA
Countries: Denmark, European Commission, France, Germany, Italy
Type of collaboration: public-public
Start date: 2017
End date: 2022
Funding amount: 1st call: €30 million
Transnational collaboration – forwarding geothermal energy utilization
Additional information: www.geothermica.eu

ACT Era-net call
Countries: European Commission, Norway, etc.
Type of collaboration: public-public
Start date: 2018
Transnational collaboration on CCUS research and innovation