20 minute read
Energy Transition
As an association IRO embraces many initiatives and organisations that are aimed at creating a sustainable and responsible energy industry. Over the long term, we can tell that the energy industry is fully in transition. Besides the necessary fossil fuels, new forms of sustainable energy are explored and developed.
As the Dutch are true pioneers in creating new possibilities, we can claim that the Dutch offshore industry is one of the most innovative industries in the field. All the developments that you now see in the new forms of energy come from the knowledge and expertise we have gained in the offshore oil and gas industry during the last 50 years. It is clear that all parties involved in the energy transition are now benefiting from that experience.
All around the world countries are in transition, working to ensure that their energy supplies come from cleaner, more sustainable sources. In the Netherlands we among others discovered the enormous potential of offshore wind energy and have created a solid domestic offshore wind market.
In the transition towards a low-CO2 energy supply, the share of conventional fuels such as natural gas will decrease due to the growth of renewable sources. A reality in which natural gas is no longer the natural best choice, but is used only where it contributes to CO2 reduction and where it does not get in the way of the development of renewable energy. With following articles you will be informed about the new developments in the gas industry, such as CCS, green gas, decommissioning & re-use, energy efficiency, hydrogen, energy storage etc. Also renewable energy sources like wind, wave and tidal energy will be discussed.
NEXSTEP
Nexstep was founded as a joint initiative of NOGEPA and EBN. Nexstep serves as the inclusive and collaborative umbrella organisation that coordinates, facilitates and seeks dialogue on the decommissioning and re-use agenda for oil and gas infrastructure in the Netherlands.
It is Nexstep’s aim for decommissioning to have zero safety incidents, create minimum environmental impact and realise cost reductions through efficiency. In addition, Nexstep seeks to re-use the infrastructure where possible (accelerating energy transition).
Nexstep focuses on:
- Identifying and enabling re-use or optimised decommissioning of the current oil and gas infrastructure. - Setting up a database to provide insight into the scale and timing of decommissioning, for more accurate scheduling & collaboration. - Creating an industry shared learnings platform. - Contributing to the creation of a clear legal and regulatory framework in collaboration with all the parties.
As the public face of re-use and decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure in the Netherlands, Nexstep will
inform and engage with stakeholders and the general public about its work. It will promote transparency about re-use and decommissioning including its scope in the Netherlands amongst others by publishing the yearly Re-use and Decommissioning Report. A dedicated innovation agenda will identify new challenges and promote technology development where it is needed. Nexstep won the Offshore Energy Public Outreach Award in 2019, a big recognition for the work done by the team. In 2020, we have developed a portal for the service industry in cooperation with IRO members to give the heavy lift contractors more insight into upcoming decommissioning work. In 2021, we will promote that activity and develop it further. Furthermore, in 2021, focus will be on developing a pilot producing offshore hydrogen in cooperation with TNO on platform Q13a-A, the so called PosHYdon project, preparing the invitation to tender for the first joint campaign on MLS wells and exploring the route towards rigless abandonment. Nexstep will also continue to encourage industry collaboration, sharing lessons learned and engage with international partner organisations involved in the coordination of re-use and decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure. As of January 2020 IRO, represented by Managing Director Sander Vergroesen, has joined the Nexstep Supervisory Board as a non-voting member.
More information at www.nexstep.nl.
NORTH SEA ENERGY: MAKING IMPACT BY INTEGRATING OFFSHORE ENERGY SYSTEMS
The North Sea will play a pivotal role in the energy transition. The further expansion of offshore wind farms, the offshore production of hydrogen and the storage of CO2 in empty gas fields will make the North Sea an exemplary region for Europe as it makes its way towards a climate-neutral energy system by 2050.
By cleverly linking the infrastructure with all forms of energy production and integrating the energy systems of the North Sea, this goal quickly comes closer to realisation and billions of euros can be saved. This was one of the important conclusions of the North Sea Energy (NSE) program, when it presented its findings in June 2020. Supported by Top Sector Energy, this partnership of thirty or so parties has been active since 2017 in developing knowledge for systems integration in the North Sea. Their goal is to accelerate the energy transition by linking offshore energy systems, saving significant costs, reducing CO2 emissions and making optimum use of space in the North Sea. The program envisages a lead time of several years. To be a breeding ground for new ideas and spinoffs, it also focuses on identifying and preparing concrete projects and pilots, such as PosHYdon.
New integrated perspectives
Various technical options are assessed that provide system linkage of offshore renewable energy with that of oil and gas infrastructures, focusing on linking the production of electricity, hydrogen and CO2 capture, transportation and storage. The program offers new perspectives regarding the technical, environmental, ecological, safety, societal,
legal, regulatory and economic feasibility for these options. Also optimizing operation and maintenance for offshore assets in wind and oil and gas sector is part of the activities. An integrated energy system model is used to assess system dynamics of introducing offshore system integration concepts and scenarios.
Co-creating a roadmap plan
In the coming two years, an important result will be a roadmap plan for offshore system integration at the North Sea towards 2050. This will integrate the multidisciplinary results generated in all phases of the North Sea Energy program. It will include practical timelines to develop system integration projects over time and assess whether alignment of investment agendas in infrastructure developments or transformation yields barriers that need to be resolved. The process of developing this roadmap will be a joint effort of the partners within the consortium and externally. This inherently embeds co-creation of knowledge and collaborative development of future action pathways to actually deliver concrete system integration projects/pilots and demonstrations as a spin-off from this phase of the program.
Hubs
To support the North Sea Roadmap, the program will select North Sea Energy Hubs in which the various energy functions can easily be combined for in-depth scenarios and considerations for techno-economics, ecology and environment, logistics, regulations and safety. The offshore areas that will be identified will be linked to industrial clusters on the coast in and around Rotterdam, Amsterdam/IJmuiden, Den Helder and Eemshaven. The international perspective will also play a major role in the next phase because international cooperation is very important in linking energy systems and rolling out new energy infrastructure for electricity, hydrogen and CO2.
Interactive Energy Atlas
Many results of the program will also be published in the interactive North Sea Energy Atlas, which is foreseen to include key energy information of other North Sea countries, and also to include other renewable energy (aquatic biomass, solar, wave- and tidal energy), offshore energy storage potential and ecological values maps.
Want to join? Visit our website north-sea-energy.eu.
ENERGY REINVENTED COMMUNITY, A NETWORK FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO CROSS BRIDGES
The energy transition is one of society’s most urgent challenges. The technical solutions the energy sector provides, will bring it closer into the forecourt and backyard of communities and their citizens, e.g. for the use of space by different stakeholder groups - onshore and offshore! Although solutions are technically feasible, public support for (local) energy producing activities in the Netherlands has significantly eroded in recent years. Frontrunners in the industry recognised the growing importance of cross sector and cross border collaboration. Founded in 2013 by Shell, Siemens, TNO and joined by EBN in 2019, the Energy Reinvented Community aims to cross bridges. With now over 1,200+ international members the Community was designed to connect a wide range of stakeholders related to the energy industry. Providing a platform for discussions, spark ideas and foster partnerships the Community enables its members to cross bridges. Its aim? To generate cross sector and cross border connections and activities, all related to society’s transition towards the new energy system.
As steering committee members, Ewald Breunesse (Shell), René Peters (TNO), Jan Prins (Siemens) and Barthold Schroot (EBN) want to pave the way for the effective implementation of current and future energy solutions by bringing together people who are connected to the energy industry, across sectors and along the supply chain. Professionals from the energy industries and other sectors
have a lot to contribute on the road to a future clean, reliable, affordable and accepted energy system. The steering committee aims to create a starting point for more integrated approaches, the development of new innovative business models and to ‘the’ break-through technologies that society is in urgent need of. In an open community the diverse international group of members (representing the energy industry and adjacent industries) share ideas and opportunities to actual cross the bridges between the – now sometimes siloed - pillars of the energy system and driving connectedness with society at large.
The Community organises three annual events with a yearly changing theme, providing members with knowledge and ample network opportunities during coffee and dinner breaks. For more in-depth topics, the Community has formed Working Groups that develop programs, solutions, applications and pilot projects for the energy industry specific to the scope of the Working Group. Occasionally these groups are the seat of broader programs, such as the North Sea Energy program an industry-driven research program that gathers and develops knowledge and technology for offshore system integration in the North Sea.
Are you working in the energy sector or in related areas, or having an interest in the energy transition you are invited to join Energy Reinvented Community? Membership is free and personal. Marking the Crossing Bridges approach, Energy Reinvented Community and North Sea Offshore jointly organise an event in Den Helder, the Netherlands on 10 June 2021. Mark this date in your calendar!
THE NETHERLANDS - YOUR PARTNER IN OFFSHORE WIND
The Netherlands strives to achieve international climate goals by advancing sustainable energy, with offshore wind power playing a key role. By 2030, Dutch offshore wind capacity will total at least 11.5 GW, supplying significant electricity volumes per year for households and industries.
The success of offshore wind in the Netherlands is largely contributable to a powerful public-private partnership as well as to a strong and firmly established supply chain. Through our joint efforts with the industry, the Dutch Government has demonstrated the potential of offshore wind as a powerful and cost-effective solution to achieving our climate and energy objectives, whilst advancing economic and innovation opportunities.
The Dutch Approach
Dutch public and private parties have teamed up to design, develop, build, and maintain high quality offshore wind farms in the North Sea, one of the busiest sea straits in the world with commercial interests alongside protected wildlife habitats and recreational activities. With four operational wind farms in place, the Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap outlines where new wind farms will be built in the Dutch North Sea up until 2030. This approach provides greater certainty for project developers, increases investor confidence, and drives down overall costs. The Dutch have centuries of experience and in-depth knowledge working offshore, owing to decades of worldwide involvement in flood defence, dredging, oil and gas, in addition to a 20-year track record in offshore wind. We are familiar with conditions above and below sea level and have used that knowledge to create a successful Dutch offshore wind energy supply chain. In this chain, small and large companies work with our knowledge institutions to constantly develop innovative solutions for offshore wind farms. With the North Sea in our front yard, we have excellent testing grounds at our doorstep, enabling us to swiftly convert innovation concepts into viable and practical applications to further optimise the use of offshore wind.
Dutch Offshore Wind Farm Zones
IJmuiden Ver 4,000 MW
tenders 2023 - 2025
6
Ten Noorden van de Waddeneilanden 700 MW
tender 2022
Gemini 600 MW
5 5
Hollandse Kust (west) 1,400 MW
tenders 2021
4
Hollandse Kust (noord) 700 MW
tender 2019
3
Egmond aan Zee 108 MW
Prinses Amalia 120 MW
6
4 3
2
1
Hollandse Kust (zuid)
Luchterduinen 129 MW
2
Site I and II Vattenfall, 760 MW Site III and IV Vattenfall, 760 MW
North Sea
100 km 6 5 4 21 3 Coast
5662 53 24 18,5 0 km
Borssele
Site III and IV Blauwwind 731,5 MW Site V Two Towers, 19 MW
1
Site I and II Ørsted, 752 MW
Current Dutch Wind Farm Zones: ~1 GW Future Dutch Wind Farm Zones: ~10 GW
Legenda
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Cooperate and innovate
The Netherlands has a strong research community and a vast network of innovative SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups. There are grants and subsidy programs in place to support innovation. Dutch research and knowledge institutions, like TKI Wind op Zee (Top consortium for Knowledge and Innovation Offshore Wind), facilitate research, development, demonstrations, valorisation, knowledge transfer, (international) collaboration, education, and market development towards maximising the cost reduction and economic impact related to offshore wind.
Distinctive supply chain
The distinctive capabilities of the Dutch supply chain comprise of a wide range of complex and critical components for offshore wind farms, such as - Wind farm development - design, (environmental) studies and (geotechnical) surveys; - Structures - manufacturing and supply of foundations, offshore substations and wind turbine parts; - Installation and commissioning - construction, design and operation of transport and installation vessels, piling and hammering, cable installation, seabed preparation and scour protection; - Operations and maintenance services - logistics, vessel agency services, IRM (Inspection, Repair and
Maintenance) services; - Research and development - innovation and data gathering, ecological research; - End of life solutions - decommissioning, recycling and seabed reconstruction; - Consultancy.
Wind and water works
Being at the forefront of the rapid development of offshore wind in our own country, we are keen to share our experiences and knowledge with others. Developing offshore wind farms requires dedicated teamwork, collaboration, and innovation across the board to ensure every wind farm has a safe and sustainable future. The Dutch can significantly contribute to any offshore wind development project in the world, based on a vast and unprecedented track record, a well-established supply chain and our entrepreneurial spirit. Let’s work together to utilise the full potential of offshore wind energy; to contribute to our global climate goals, whilst transforming our business models to serve the sustainable society of tomorrow.
We are ready to show the world that wind and water works! www.windandwaterworks.nl
DID YOU KNOW?
- The Dutch Government oversees the whole consenting and permitting process thus lowering risks for developers significantly by providing full sets of certified offshore wind data and site studies, whilst transmission system operator
TenneT is responsible for the offshore grid infrastructure. - In 2017, the Dutch approach resulted in the first subsidy-free offshore wind farm in the Netherlands. - Dutch companies have contributed to almost all European offshore wind projects and are rapidly expanding their activities on a global scale. - Offshore wind is becoming a key industry for major
Dutch ports and coastal harbours, spurring new transport, construction and maintenance activities and driving economic stability. - New higher education curricula and specialised training focused on employment in the offshore wind sector have been developed to anticipate on the need for 12,000 employees who will work in the Dutch offshore wind sector by 2030. - A strong partnership between the offshore wind supply chain and renowned Dutch knowledge institutions push the boundaries to create innovative offshore wind solutions.
ULSTEIN’S ROADMAP TO A HYDROGEN FUTURE
Following the introduction of our first hydrogen fuelled, zero emission design in 2019, we now reveal our vision towards a marine hydrogen future. Where the ULSTEIN SX190 showcased that zero emission ships can be realised with today’s off-the-shelf technology, we now map the way to a hydrogen fuelled marine industry.
“We support the recent hydrogen initiatives by ports and large industry players. It strengthens us in our ambitions to be at the forefront of sustainable ship designs. A vision like this can be turned into reality through innovation and industrialisation, but here we will need a partnership between research institutions, governments, regulators and businesses. Our SX190 zero emission design only marks the start of our roadmap towards future zero emission operations of long endurance,” says Tore Ulstein, deputy CEO, Ulstein Group.
The ULSTEIN SX190 design uses proven and readily available hydrogen technology, enabling clean shipping operations to reduce the environmental footprint of offshore (renewables) projects. CO2, NOX and particle emissions are completely eliminated when using hydrogen fuel cells for on board power generation. However, today’s technology and (especially) hydrogen infrastructure only allow operations of up to approx. Five days in zero emission mode. But it is just the first step towards a hydrogen marine economy, as an endurance of multiple weeks is required for hydrogen to support full zero emission marine operations.
Hydrogen challenges
The PEM fuel cell systems adopted for the SX190 design have already been built and proven in the multi-megawatt power ranges and meet the requirements of the marine industry. For the successful use of hydrogen fuel cells as zero emission power system on board, the following four aspects are key in paving the way to a cleaner future:
Regulations: development and acceptance of regulations for bunkering and hydrogen power systems Infrastructure: development of suitable transport, bunkering and storage technology Green hydrogen: large scale production of hydrogen from sustainable energy sources Cost: willingness to cover initial extra cost for hydrogen fuel and technology
Ulstein, as ship designers, can contribute in providing solutions for the onboard hydrogen lay-out to match the developments in regulations, shoreside infrastructure and green hydrogen. Early adopters are often ‘punished’ by higher costs, but choosing an adaptable zero emission solution, allow those companies to fulfil their environmental ambitions, be ahead of the game and will provide them value throughout the energy transition.
Read more on liquid hydrogen bunker facilities and containerised solutions at Ulstein’s website www.ulstein.com.
RESATO’S SUSTAINABLE VISION WITH HYDROGEN
Resato helps develop the hydrogen economy in the Netherlands. High pressure technology spans across an array of applications that use gases or fluids such as nitrogen, argon, water, and oils. Since a few years, hydrogen-related applications in the transport and energy sector have received great attention. From an end-user perspective, these applications range from car refueling to storage. However, for the high pressure expert from the Netherlands, Resato International, these applications are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
The development of a hydrogen-based economy is said to be the future due to its ability to substantially reduce carbon-emissions. Especially, the automotive industry has discovered hydrogen technology to make driving more sustainable. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles are developed and ready for use on the roads if there was not this problem of a non-existing network of fueling stations. Resato wants to address this challenge and supports the development of a hydrogen economy in the Northern Netherlands with scalable high pressure refueling stations. “We want to provide an affordable alternative to the huge fueling stations which are planned in order to allow companies to extend their coverage and provide an incentive for endusers to invest in a sustainable FCEV”, states Rob Castien, CEO of Resato.
Resato is already involved with several parties in the region of Northern Netherlands to investigate the opportunity to set the grounds for a pilot. A big partner is the Holthausen Group, a regional gas supplier, which has already invested in a hydrogen refueling station from Resato to fill its company car Hyundai ix35. In order to kick-start the hydrogen economy in the region both parties believe in a design of a ‘mother-daughter station setup’. “In this setup, the mother stations generate hydrogen with an electrolyzer which is then stored and used in the fueling dispensers at the station. With bottle racks on trailers, excess hydrogen is transported to the smaller containerised refueling stations”, describes Rob Castien, “And once demand exceeds supply, one can simply investigate the development of another bigger station and transport the containerised refueling station to another remote location”. The Resato CEO is confident that in the Northern Netherlands the development is possible with the support of regional partners.
Ensuring safe operation with hydrogen
Besides the establishment of a refueling station network, Resato recognises the importance of high pressure tests on hydrogen-suited components to ensure the safe development of the economy. “In order for the hydrogen economy to grow, it is critical that no catastrophe including hydrogen occurs to build the credibility of this technology in the eye of the end-user”, states Rob Castien. Therefore, Resato has spent significant time in the development of a hydrogen-suited compressor unit which is also used in their refueling station. More importantly, however, Resato uses its high pressure knowledge Read more on Resato’s website www.resato.com.
ACCELERATING MARINE ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Marine energy provides a vast potential for utility operators and offshore energy companies as well as remote applications and supply contractors. For the majority of applications, the energy generated from waves, tidal streams or different levels of either salinity or temperature is more predictable than other offshore energy sources.
To further develop these technologies, it is needed to increase life time and efficiency while reducing operational costs and installation expenditure. These goals, best achieved by deployment, have also led to the exploration of a number of different business cases for marine energy developers. Providing a constant power supply to offshore equipment shows the collaboration opportunities with the oil & gas industries. The production of offshore hydrogen transforms renewable energy into a green energy carrier that can be used for chemical industry, as a fuel or stored and converted back into electricity. And finally, the co-location with offshore wind can not only increase the amount of energy harvested from marine space but also increase the capacity factor of cables and subsequently the base load of offshore renewable energy parks. To realise solutions for all these applications, Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC) is accelerating marine energy development in Europe to address an even bigger challenge: The body and functional testing of hydrogen components with hydrogen as a medium. Referring to a project in Singapore for valve testing in the oil & gas industry, Rob Castien emphasises that “we are experts in handling high pressure and provide reliable and accurate test units to the oil and gas, hose, and automotive industry for more than 25 years. Hydrogen is a challenge, also for us, but we have the experience to design automated test solutions that make testing safe and intuitive.”
and beyond. Our activities are focussing on managing technical innovation challenges, maturing investment readiness, exploring new markets and securing policy support. To offer even broader expertise, our team collaborates with a large network of research institutes, test sites and engineering consultancies. The key to commercialise technologies in this young sector is the efficient link between technical lessons learned and business development. For this reason, DMEC leads a number of European funded projects, like the Ocean Energy Scale Up Alliance. Together with partners from
