Feel the
of Holland
Feel the ENERGY of Holland North! Holland North has a lot to offer: space, excellent accessibility, low rents and land prices, as well as well-qualified and
DEN HELDER
highly motivated personneL PETTEN A7 HOORN ALKMAAR
ENKHUIZEN
All those features, just a short distance from Amsterdam and
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Schiphol Airport
IJMUIDEN
A10 AMSTERDAM
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INVEST IN ENERGY REGION HOLLAND NORTH Founded on the region’s traditionally strong position as the Dutch centre for offshore oil and gas, the Energy Region Holland North is aiming to be an international focal point for innovation in traditional as well as renewable energy. As part of Energy Valley, the region plays an important role in the energy industry in the Netherlands. Maintaining its role as main hub in the offshore oil and gas industry, the region now also plays a key role in the EU program for energy transition, with a focus on (offshore) wind and biomass (green gas). In addition, through investments in gas infrastructure, the region is supporting the ambition of the Dutch government to become the gas hub of Europe. World-class companies and knowledge institutes with cutting edge research and development activities have already chosen it as the perfect spot for their business. Not only is Holland North a good place to do business, it is also a good place to live. The landscape is green and inviting, and surrounded by water. The historical cities of Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Medemblik, key cities for the Dutch East India company in the 17th and 18th century, are true attractions. Finally, Alkmaar is one of the top shopping cities in the Netherlands.
LEADING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The region is leading when it comes to energy, partly because of knowledge institutes like the Institute for Energy (IE), Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and Nuclear Research and consultancy Group (NRG). Maritime know ledge institutes are also widely represented. The maritime cluster program Maritime Campus Netherlands (MCN) was established in the region to increase knowledge in this area. With both know ledge institutes and innovative energy businesses represented, the Energy Region Holland North offers the ideal surroundings for energetic entrepreneurship.
WELL-QUALIFIED AND HIGHLY MOTIVATED PERSONNEL Holland North has a large pool of qualified personnel. Personnel in our region are known to be hardworking, dedicated and loyal to their company. Practically everyone speaks English and/ or German.
Four main business clusters form the core of the Energy Region Holland North
1. OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS In past years, the region Den Helder has developed into the foremost service location for offshore activities in the North Sea. Almost all Dutch offshore activities in the Netherlands are driven from Den Helder. Den Helder owes this unique market position to its ideal location close to the North Sea, as well as modern port and airport facilities. More than 200 leading international companies and know ledge institutes in offshore energy are located in Holland North.
2. OFFSHORE WIND With the two Dutch offshore wind parks (228MW), a large wind turbine test area and a test facility to test blades and other materials, Holland North also plays an active role in (offshore) wind energy. With the ports of IJmuiden and Den Helder, the region is ready to accommodate the assembly, production and maintenance of the planned offshore wind farms in the North Sea projected to be built in the near future.
3. GAS STORAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE For more than half a century, the Netherlands have been one of the world’s leading producers of indigenous natural gas. While still being a large producer, the Netherlands are now also strengthening their role as the gas hub of Europe. A key part of the infrastructure for this lies in Holland North. Furthermore, Abu Dhabi’s TAQA Energy will invest 800 million Euros in one of Europe’s largest underground gas storages near Alkmaar.
4. FUEL OF THE FUTURE: BIOMASS Biomass is seen as the most important source of renewable energy for the future. ECN has developed a state-of-the-art biomass gasification technology: MILENA. The green gas produced is very suitable for replacing natural gas in many applications: to generate electricity and heat, as transport fuel for cars, lorries and public transport, and in chemcial production. The HVC Group, a modern public service waste company and producer of sustainable energy, has decided to join ECN with the development, demonstration and implementation. Also TAQA Energy and Gasunie support this development. Simultaneously, the internationally-oriented ‘Netherlands Expertise Centre for Biomass Gasification’ will arise in Alkmaar in the near future.
Offshore Oil & Gas About 200 leading service companies, suppliers and main contractors to the offshore wind, oil and gas industry are based in Holland North, covering all categories of the supply chain
The Port of Den Helder already plays an important role in the offshore oil, gas and wind industry. In fact, almost all offshore logistics and O&M activities is done from the port of Den Helder and Den Helder Airport. Companies with a base in Den Helder include PetersonSBS, Vroon, CHC Helicopters, DHTC, NAM, Weatherford, Wintershall, Gaz de France, and others. About 200 leading service companies, suppliers and main contractors to the offshore wind, oil and gas industry are based in Holland North. They cover all categories of the supply chain: R&D, detailed design, environment assessment and monitoring, geotechnical and site survey, project management, insurance, legal and procurement, metal construction and metal works, electricity and cabling manufacturing, transport, delivery and logistics, onshore pre- assembly, onshore & offshore installation (including heavy lifting), commissioning and testing, operation, maintenance & services and emergency servicing. Since decades, the port of Den Helder is the Netherlands’ main port for offshore logistics and O&M. More than 160 drilling platforms are serviced from Den Helder. The port offers 250 meter quay facilities. Den Helder Airport is fully equipped for helicopter flights to offshore platforms, as well as being suitable for fixed-wing aircraft. At this moment the airport accommodates around 25,000 helicopter flights per year.
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Offshore Wind the Dutch top knowledge institutes in wind and offshore industry are located in the region holland north, managed by highly motivated and trained technical personnel
Holland North is a leading centre for development, production, assembly, operations and maintenance of offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The Dutch government’s objective is to create large-scale offshore wind farms in the next few years. By the year 2020, about 6,000 MW of wind power is planned to be installed in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. At this moment, two offshore wind farms, in total 228 MW, are operational, and two wind farms are projected (Bard and Q10). The Seaport IJmuiden has proven to be an excellent base for assembly, transportation, and construction of windmills. The two Dutch offshore wind parks OWEZ and Prinses Amalia are installed and maintained from Seaport IJmuiden. The Seaport is located directly on the North Sea. Furthermore the Dutch top knowledge institutes in wind and offshore industry are located in the region. Near Den Helder, the test centre WMC and the ECN Wind Turbine Test area are available for testing turbines, blades and other materials according to international standards. And given the availability of highly motivated and trained technical personnel, the region plays a significant role in the offshore wind industry. Both the seaports of IJmuiden and Den Helder offer excellent facilities to base offshore wind-related activities.
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Gas Storage and Infrastructure in holland north, all the gas coming in from the dutch continental shelf is processed and from there enabled to be transported to the united kingdom
The Netherlands is a natural gas country. After discovering large gas reserves in the Nineteen-fifties the Netherlands developed into one of the world’s largest producers of natural gas. Natural gas is also of vital importance to domestic supply of energy: 60 per cent of all electricity is generated with the aid of natural gas. Because the Netherlands has been a major gas producer for half a century already its infrastructure is perfect. The largest gas processing installation in Europe is located in Den Helder. All the gas coming in from the Dutch continental shelf is processed here. Additionally, the compressor station of the BBL pipeline lies in Holland North, enabling the transportation of gas from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. The Netherlands’ own gas reserves are diminishing. That is why the Dutch government is striving to further expand its strong logistical position in the European gas market and become the main gas hub of Northwest Europe. A successful gas hub will yield well over 21 billion Euros in extra economic activity in the next ten years, plus more than 13,000 jobs. Because of better infrastructure and storage facilities the gas hub will contribute to the desired supply security of natural gas in Europe. The Energy Region Holland North is the place where one of the most promising initiatives regarding the gas hub are being developed. TAQA Energy is building Gas storage Bergermeer close to Alkmaar. With an operational stock of 4,1 billion cubic metres of natural gas, Gas storage Bergermeer is one of Europe’s largest gas storages; large enough to meet the annual gas demand of more than two million homes. The latest techniques are being used for the development of Gas storage Bergermeer. The gas treatment installation, that is being built in Alkmaar, is 100% electric. As a result, the emission of CO2 and other materials is almost non-existent. In the coming years the Energy Innovation Park Alkmaar will be realised next to the gas treatment installation at Boekelermeer Zuid industrial park.
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Biomass Gasification In the Energy Region Holland North a unique patented technology was developed to convert dry biomass into green gas, with a high yield and without harmful environmental effects
One of the major global challenges for the next decades is making our ener gy system more sustainable. The production of green gas from biomass is one of the techniques that has great potential. In the Energy Region Holland North, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands has developed a patented technology unique in the world to convert dry biomass - demolition wood, pruning waste, cut grass – into green gas with a high yield and without harmful environmental effects. Biomass gasification’s possibilities are enormous. In case of sufficient availability of biomass, the share of sustainable green gas in the Dutch requirements can increase to 50 per cent in 2050. It can be used to generate electricity and heat, as fuel for cars and as base material for the chemical industry. In Alkmaar, HVC, ECN and gasinfrastructure company Gasunie are preparing a 12 MW MILENA gasifier, operated on demolition wood, in combination with OLGA gas cleaning. In the conversion into green gas, MILENA achieves an as yet unequalled efficiency of 70 per cent. The 12 MW MILENA demonstration plant is considered to be a crucial intermediate step towards commercial green gas plants. Therefore the demonstration serves two goals. After a successful demonstration, a further scale-up to a 50-100 MW green gas demonstration unit is foreseen. The MILENA gasification installation is the vibrant centre of the Netherlands Expertise Centre for Biomass Gasification. At each of the production stages the gas from MILENA can be tapped to be used for the development and completion of innovative applications of green gas. That presents unique opportunities for science and business. Innovating energy entrepreneurs can make use of the facility centre that is part of the Netherlands Expertise Centre for Biomass Gasification. Immediately avai lable facilities, the access to the MILENA gasifier and the top expertise of ECN create the ideal climate for innovation and making new techniques marketable in a state-of-the-art environment. TAQA’s gas treatment installation, the Energy Innovation Park Alkmaar and connections to the (inter)national gas grid are in the immediate vicinity.
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LEADING R&D INSTITUTES IN ENERGY In the field of energy, the Netherlands, is among the leading research nations worldwide. Important R&D institutions and projects involved in the development of energy are described below: Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) A transition to a sustainable energy system requires development and innovation in sustainable energy technolgy. ECN develops high-level knowledge and technology that enables this transition, with and for the market. ECN is the largest energy research institute in the Netherlands and benefits from a strong international position in the areas of solar, wind and bio-energy, energy efficiency, environmental research and and policy studies. www.ecn.nl Joint Research Center (JRC) The mission of the Institute for Energy, part of the European Commission Joint Research Center, is to provide scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of energy-related community policies. Special emphasis is placed on the security of the energy supply, sustainable and safe energy production and environmental compliance. http://ie.jrc.ec.europa.eu Wind turbine Materials and Constructions (WMC) The WMC carries out research into materials, components and structures for wind turbines. What was once the WMC Group of Delft University of Technology continues its work as the new foundation WMC Knowledge Centre, set up by the Delft University of Technology and the Energy research Centre of the Nether足 lands (ECN). The nearby ECN Wind Turbine Test Park (EWTW) allows manufacturers to test offshore wind turbines in the 3 to 6 MW range. www.wmc.eu Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) is an independent research institute affiliated with the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Its mission is to conduct multidisciplinary marine research into coastal and shelf seas and the open ocean through close cooperation between physicists, chemists, geologists and biologists. To fulfil its mission, NIOZ has laboratories, major experimental facilities and four research vessels for sea-going research. www.nioz.nl
Nuclear Research and consultancy Group (NRG) NRG is the nuclear service provider in the Netherlands. NRG is operator of the HFR (High Flux Reactor) in Petten, located in the attractive scenery of the dunes at the North Sea coast, only 50 km north of Amsterdam. NRG is Europe’s largest producer of molybdenum. Every day more than 24,000 patients are treated with radio-pharmaceuticals produced by NRG, and their isotopes for diagnostics, therapy and pain relief are used around the world. NRG is planning to build the PALLAS reactor in order to replace the HFR. PALLAS will be equipped to meet the growing world demand for medical isotopes and nuclear knowledge and services more efficiently and effectively. www.nrg.eu TNO Den Helder TNO is an independent research organization whose expertise and research contributes significantly to the competitiveness of companies and organizations, to the economy, and to the quality of society as a whole. TNO’s unique position can be attributed to its versatility and its capacity to integrate this knowledge. www.tno.nl Wageningen IMARES Wageningen IMARES, the Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies, specializes in strategic and applied marine ecological research. Products and services include field studies, real-life scale experiments, exploratory studies at laboratory level, data management and modelling. www.wageningenimares.wur.nl Maritime Campus Netherlands (MCN) MCN is a venture between research institutes, educational institutions, companies and government authorities. Its objective is to increase and strengthen the economic infrastructure in North Holland by developing a leading international marine, maritime and environmental technology cluster in and around Den Helder. www.maritimecampus.nl
LEADING COMPANIES IN ENERGY HVC Alkmaar HVC is a publicly-owned company engaged in sustainable waste management and green energy production. The core tasks are waste collection, recycling and composting and incineration and energy production. www.hvcgroep.com Gasunie Gasunie is a European gas infrastructure company with one of the most extensive high pressure gas networks in Europe, which extends accross the Netherlands and Northern Germany. With its infrastructure and services Gasunie responds to the needs of clients and customers. The company uses its expertise and its network to fit sustainable green gas into the gas provision and helps to make the transition of energy possible. www.gasunie.nl TAQA Energy
 TAQA Energy B.V. is part of the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), a power company investing in the exploration and production of oil and gas, water and electricity generating stations, pipelines, sustainable energy and gas storage worldwide. www.taqa.ae/nl PetersonSBS Peterson SBS Den Helder is part of the Peterson Offshore Group, a global service provider in the offshore oil and gas sector. In Den Helder, the company operates a unique service concept. www.peterson.nl WES WES designs, manufactures and sells two types of wind turbines, 80 kW and 250 kW, specifically intended for remote locations without a large electricity grid. www.windenergysolutions.nl Ballast Nedam Offshore energy services are a comparatively recent product of Ballast Nedam’s long history as a major civil and marine engineering contractor. They have been building bridge foundations and marine installation works for many years. Now that know-how is being applied to the design and construction of a new generation of offshore wind farms. www.ballast-nedam.nl
NAM NAM is the largest gas producer in the Netherlands, with annual production of around 50 billion m続. 15 billion m続 comes from the North Sea. www.nam.nl Global Blade Technology Global Blade Technology is an engineering company focused on wind rotor blades, including design, tooling, and manufacturing technology. www.gbtholding.com GDF SUEZ GDF SUEZ E&P the Netherlands prospects for natural gas and petroleum, extracts it and transports it to land via the offshore pipeline systems of Noordgastransport B.V. and NOGAT B.V. www.gdfsuezep.nl Wintershall Wintershall is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of BASF and a company specialising in energy. Wintershall is actively searching and recovering petroleum and natural gas in various regions in the world. www.wintershall.com
for more information Energy Region Holland North Tel: +31 (0)72 519 57 71 www.investinhollandnorth.com
This publication is an initiative of the Province of Noord-Holland, City of Alkmaar, NFIA, Development Company NHN, Chamber of Commerce, Taqa Energy BV, HVC and ECN.
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