facUlTy of TEcHNoloGy, PolIcy aND MaNaGEMENT Special issue Energy IX/4 19 12 2011 Q Energy Delta Gas Research (EDGaR): “Pondering the ideal mix of gas and renewable energy” How can the Netherlands grow towards a sustainable energy mix from its current strong natural gas position? This is the core question that will be the focus of the activities of Energy Delta Gas Research (EDGaR) in the next few years. In its quest for answers, this national consortium will be develop ing knowledge and technology using a strategic research programme, with which Prof. Margot Weijnen (chairholder of process and energy systems engineering) and Dr Rolf Künneke (associate professor of the economy of infrastructures) are closely involved on behalf of TU Delft. Prof. Weijnen is a member of the Executive Board, and Dr Künneke is on the Programme Board. For more than fifty years, natural gas has been the primary source of energy in the Netherlands, for industry, the service sector and households. More than 60% of the country’s domestic electricity production is based on natural gas, while almost every home and every business is connected to the gas network. Market penetra tion on this scale is unparalleled anywhere in the world. Moreover, the Netherlands is a major gas exporter in Europe and is keen to profile itself as northwest Europe’s gas hub. Weijnen explains, “When it comes to developing technology and markets, our coun try is right at the forefront - a position that offers tremendous oppor tunities now that Europe is on the verge of making the transition from conventional to sustainable energy. In the next few decades, gas will play an important role in this. After all, it is a relatively clean conventional fuel and is a flexible addition to renewable energy sources that are not available on a continuous basis.” Smart link The aim of EDGaR is to safeguard the country’s leading knowledge position in relation to gas and, looking at the future, to make a smart link between gas and the transition to sustainable energy provision. This involves three main themes: ‘from monogas to multigas’, ‘long-term energy systems’ and ‘changing gas markets’. Künneke says, “To start with the first theme: in the next few years, the Netherlands will see an increasing stream of ‘new’ gases, such as ‘green’ gases, hydrogen and syngas. Also, gas from other countries will be imported to an ever-greater degree via the extensive natural gas network, or in tanker ships in the form of liquid gas (LNG). The composition of this ‘new gas’ is different from the natural gas from Groningen that has been traditionally distributed in the Netherlands, which has a very unique quality. The current natural gas network is not set up for this, and neither is the equipment used by end-users. These different gases cannot simply be mixed. It could also lead to very dangerous situations for end-users if gas with divergent qualities is burned in heating boilers or gas ovens. There therefore has to be a transition from the traditional mono-gas world to a multigas world. The EDGaR programme is examining the relevant and important technical, policy, economic and legal aspects of this. At present, twelve research projects are underway.” A total of 40 project proposals had been submitted by 1 June 2011, of which 27 have been approved. For the ‘future-proof energy systems’ theme, the key question is the role of gas in future energy provision. Gas and electricity systems have traditionally developed and been made more sustainable separately. EDGaR is now looking at ways of bringing the two together in order to make the energy system as a whole more efficient. This is also intended to lead to better use of Organisation EDGaR The Energy Delta Gas Research (EDGaR) national consortium is conducting the largest-scale research programme in Europe in field of gas and sustainability. Under the leadership of the Energy Delta Research Centre of the University of Groningen, EDGaR is pooling Dutch gas-related knowledge and skills with the aim of creating a sustainable energy future. The partners are Gasunie, Kiwa Gastec, network companies Enexis, Liander and Stedin, GasTerra, the University of Groningen, TU Delft, the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. The Executive Board is chaired by Roelf Venhuizen, the former director of the NAM. sustainable forms of energy that provide power at unpredictable intervals, such as the sun and wind. Weijnen continues, “For endusers, gas and electricity are competing energy sources, but at the same time the networks are linked and dependent upon each other. One of the eight approved research projects concerns ‘innovative smart grid solutions’, and is focused on the inter action between gas and electricity networks. Modelling the integrated gas and electricity system is a real challenge, but it is something you need to do to be able to coordinate supply and demand in the energy system in an intelligent manner and, for example, to use decentralised production units for heat and power more smartly.” The area of focus of the third main theme, ‘changing gas markets’, is internationalisation. The need for this is highlighted by the fact continued on page 2
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