On Thursday 1 June 2023, Arnhem City Council will host the Access to Energy Dialogue 2023 in the historic Eusebius Church. In Arnhem, the energy hotspot par excellence, Dutch and international energy experts from government, academia and the business sector will engage in dialogue at this first edition of the event. They will exchange information and insights on the technical, organisational and societal aspects of the energy transition.
The transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources is in full swing. The challenges are considerable, and the ambitions are high. Moreover, time is of the essence, as demand for sustainable energy exceeds supply and Europe is striving for energy independence from fossil fuels.
In the Arnhem-Nijmegen region , businesses, government, education and research are working together to use energy innovations to accelerate the transition and scale it up to a higher level of application. Energy Hotspot Arnhem boasts a unique ecosystem comprising traditional major players such as TenneT, Alliander, DNV-GL, KEMA and DEKRA, alongside innovative SMEs.
The collaboration between these parties leads to innovative solutions and accelerates the energy transition. Not least because they work together with educational institutions from within and outside the region, such as Radboud University, Delft University of Technology and HAN University of Applied Sciences.
With the Access to Energy Dialogue, the hotspot Energy Arnhem offers regional, national and international parties the opportunity to gain knowledge, expertise and smart ideas about the energy transition from this rich ecosystem.
This first one-day Access to Energy dialogue marks the start of an annual week-long international event. This repetition offers continuity and is also a periodic measuring moment; where do we stand and how do we proceed from here. Participants meet physically during Access to Energy, a deliberate choice that promotes the exchange of ideas and the setting up of joint initiatives.
"Moreover, as a municipality, we are fully engaged in the energy transition. How do we make our city energy-neutral? What does that mean for our citizens and businesses? Which transition route is the smartest? What is the right order of things? Where are the opportunities in terms of technology? How does the transition relate to existing laws and regulations? Can our approach be an example for others? These are hugely interesting questions and enormously complicated processes, because everything is intertwined."
Regionally, but with European ambitions, Connectr is the innovative flywheel. In cooperation with companies, research and training institutes, Connectr provides innovation programmes, the Innovation Lab and Shared Facilities where innovations in the field of energy are tested, demonstrated and put into practice. The aim is to act as a catalyst to accelerate the application and scale-up of new developments.
To this end, TenneT has designed the ‘Target Grid’, which the company will present during the dialogue. TenneT is opting for an interconnected network of direct current superhighways and energy hubs. This combination is capable of transporting sustainable electricity safely and reliably over long distances.
The outlines of this vision are already becoming apparent. “Take, for example, the Smart Energy Hubs that are currently under development,” says Marieke Butterhoff. As a civic entrepreneur specialising in Energy at The Economic Board, she is closely involved in projects relating to the energy transition. “A Living Lab Smart Energy Hubs has been set up in the eastern Netherlands. Of the ten business parks in the Living Lab, three are located in the Lifeport area, namely InnoFase Duiven, Brick Valley and TPN-West Nijmegen. Work is underway at these business parks to find solutions to grid congestion by focusing on the implementation of decentralised energy systems. In this way, we are building stable, flexible, local and sustainable alternatives for energy generation, storage and use, and applying innovations developed in the region to the business parks.”
“We must harness the energy expertise in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region to raise our profile both nationally and internationally,” emphasises Nermina Kundić. “The solutions we devise can also work elsewhere in the world. In that sense, this transition is also a business case that generates jobs, knowledge and income.”
She continues: "Transition is change. Change means breaking through existing systems and routines. By getting down to work practically, by creating support, demonstrating usefulness and necessity and having the courage to break new ground. We can only do that together and Arnhem is happy to contribute to that with the Access to Energy dialogue."
The transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources is in full swing. The challenges are considerable, and the ambitions are high. Moreover, time is of the essence, as demand for sustainable energy exceeds supply and Europe is striving for energy independence from fossil fuels.
In the Arnhem-Nijmegen region , businesses, government, education and research are working together to use energy innovations to accelerate the transition and scale it up to a higher level of application. Energy Hotspot Arnhem boasts a unique ecosystem comprising traditional major players such as TenneT, Alliander, DNV-GL, KEMA and DEKRA, alongside innovative SMEs.
The collaboration between these parties leads to innovative solutions and accelerates the energy transition. Not least because they work together with educational institutions from within and outside the region, such as Radboud University, Delft University of Technology and HAN University of Applied Sciences.
With the Access to Energy Dialogue, the hotspot Energy Arnhem offers regional, national and international parties the opportunity to gain knowledge, expertise and smart ideas about the energy transition from this rich ecosystem.
Annual event
During this first edition of Access to Energy on Thursday 1 June, Dutch and international energy experts will engage in discussion. The overarching theme is: how can we best achieve the energy transition from a technical, organisational and societal perspective?This first one-day Access to Energy dialogue marks the start of an annual week-long international event. This repetition offers continuity and is also a periodic measuring moment; where do we stand and how do we proceed from here. Participants meet physically during Access to Energy, a deliberate choice that promotes the exchange of ideas and the setting up of joint initiatives.
Arnhem and energy
The fact that Arnhem is hosting the Access to Energy dialogue is almost a given, says Nermina Kundić, Councillor for Education and Youth Policy, Sustainable Mobility and the Economy. “The city has traditionally been inextricably linked to energy. TenneT, Alliander, KEMA and DEKRA – they all started out in Arnhem and are still based here. And over the last decade, the city has been enriched by an ecosystem of innovative SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups working on (decentralised) solutions for the energy transition, many of which are based at the Kleefse Waard Industrial Park. A number of companies, such as Nedstack and ElaadNL, started out small in Arnhem and are now well-established players. In Arnhem and the wider region, there is a wealth of expertise in the field of energy for both businesses and households.”"Moreover, as a municipality, we are fully engaged in the energy transition. How do we make our city energy-neutral? What does that mean for our citizens and businesses? Which transition route is the smartest? What is the right order of things? Where are the opportunities in terms of technology? How does the transition relate to existing laws and regulations? Can our approach be an example for others? These are hugely interesting questions and enormously complicated processes, because everything is intertwined."
Smart solutions
“The energy transition has a profound impact on how we live, work and travel – in short, on our way of life. All the more reason to work together on smart solutions,” says Jeroen Herremans, director of Connectr Energy-Innovation. “We have in-house expertise in numerous fields across the region,” says Marieke Butterhoff. “Geographically speaking, there is a belt of manufacturing industry stretching from Twente to Brabant. This is a unique chain of companies, with Arnhem at its heart in terms of energy-related expertise. The key is to bring together that knowledge and expertise in the fields of technology, organisation, training and research. Literally. Meeting each other in person, sharing what we’re working on, the direction in which we’re developing solutions, and how we can practically help one another in the process.”Regionally, but with European ambitions, Connectr is the innovative flywheel. In cooperation with companies, research and training institutes, Connectr provides innovation programmes, the Innovation Lab and Shared Facilities where innovations in the field of energy are tested, demonstrated and put into practice. The aim is to act as a catalyst to accelerate the application and scale-up of new developments.
Routes
“Broadly speaking, there are two transition pathways that complement each other,” explains Jeroen Herremans. “A centralised national approach and a decentralised pathway that focuses on local and regional solutions. The focus of this first Access to Energy dialogue is on the question: How do we build a smart, reliable and safe energy network?”To this end, TenneT has designed the ‘Target Grid’, which the company will present during the dialogue. TenneT is opting for an interconnected network of direct current superhighways and energy hubs. This combination is capable of transporting sustainable electricity safely and reliably over long distances.
The outlines of this vision are already becoming apparent. “Take, for example, the Smart Energy Hubs that are currently under development,” says Marieke Butterhoff. As a civic entrepreneur specialising in Energy at The Economic Board, she is closely involved in projects relating to the energy transition. “A Living Lab Smart Energy Hubs has been set up in the eastern Netherlands. Of the ten business parks in the Living Lab, three are located in the Lifeport area, namely InnoFase Duiven, Brick Valley and TPN-West Nijmegen. Work is underway at these business parks to find solutions to grid congestion by focusing on the implementation of decentralised energy systems. In this way, we are building stable, flexible, local and sustainable alternatives for energy generation, storage and use, and applying innovations developed in the region to the business parks.”
“We must harness the energy expertise in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region to raise our profile both nationally and internationally,” emphasises Nermina Kundić. “The solutions we devise can also work elsewhere in the world. In that sense, this transition is also a business case that generates jobs, knowledge and income.”
She continues: "Transition is change. Change means breaking through existing systems and routines. By getting down to work practically, by creating support, demonstrating usefulness and necessity and having the courage to break new ground. We can only do that together and Arnhem is happy to contribute to that with the Access to Energy dialogue."
