For nothing shines the sun. And the wind blows, but how do you create flexibility in an energy system to make optimal use of the variable supply of renewable energy? This question is central for the industry in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Vlissingen-Oost in the FlexIntensity project, co-funded by the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF).
On October 15, around 50 interested participants gathered at HZ University of Applied Sciences for the kick-off conference. After a group lunch, the introduction was led by Jacob van Berkel, a professor with the HZ research group Delta Power. He showed that the growth of renewable energy supply is progressing rapidly, but that the consequences could be significant if something goes wrong with electricity transmission.
This was followed by a lecture from guest speaker Prof. Gert Jan Kramer from Utrecht University, where he sketched a future vision for the role of green hydrogen and electrolyzers in the Dutch energy supply. The underlying question was, "Can we use this to make Dutch industry more sustainable, and how?"
Simple solutions, minimal investments
After a short break, project partners spoke in three different sessions. The first session was led by Jens Baetens and Frank Alaerts from Entras on "dispatchable industry." Renewable energy sources like solar and wind cannot be controlled like conventional power plants and are therefore "non-dispatchable." So why don’t we make the (industrial) energy demand dispatchable instead? And how do we do this? Through simple solutions with minimal investments, like adjustments in production planning, good results can already be achieved.
Next, it was Gerrit Rentier, a researcher and coordinator of the Delta Power research group, and Wiljan van Laarhoven, who supervises the project, who explained the project's background and objectives, considering both the characteristics of the JTF region and the future growth of offshore wind energy and green hydrogen production to make Zeeland's industry more sustainable.
Model of Zeeland's electricity grid
Finally, Roel Tolle from the Delta Power research group and Louis de Backere from Ghent University offered insight into the initial results of the research. As part of a preliminary study, a high-level overview of future flexibility potential for the Zeeland industry was provided. This was followed by a detailed presentation of a model developed for Zeeland's electricity grid. Using load flow calculations, this grid model can simulate and visualize the effect of different flexibility mechanisms on the electrical distribution network.
It was a successful afternoon during which various topics were discussed within the scope of the project, bringing together an inspiring mix of participants from business, education, and policymakers. For those interested, there was an extra bonus: a tour of the newly opened hydrogen lab, led by researcher Collin Bohncke from the Delta Power research group.