The province of Zuid-Holland commissioned DHV to write a “position paper” which outlines our vision on how the future of sustainable energy supply will develop. With the aid of this analysis the Province of Zuid Holland formed a substantive vision of the future direction of existing and new policies.
A sustainable energy supply of the future has to be clean and reliable according to DHV. This essentially requires diversification and flexibility.
Diversification
Diversification points to the fact that (taking into account the sharp increase in the future global demand for energy) all energy sources will need to be deployed to be able to meet the demand for energy as many sustainable energy sources do not deliver a stable energy supply. This means that ensuring a balance between supply and demand for energy in the future will be even more complex.
The challenge for the future is not only to supply energy in general, but importantly being able to meet energy demand and at the right time. New solutions for flexibility are therefore essential.
Optimal use of sustainable energy sources
To continue this line of thought, a picture emerges of an energy supply that limits the demand for energy by economy and all reliable sustainable energy sources will be used to optimal effect to supply the demand.
To guarantee (safeguard) flexibility, the surpluses in energy supply from sustainable sources will be stored in the form of hydrogen. This vision requires an improved multi-point gas infrastructure, using Dutch and foreign natural gas, but also gasification of biomass and possibly coal which collectively will contribute significantly to the necessary flexibility.
Sustainable mobility
DHV believes that hydrogen may play a very important role in the future of the transport sector.
A car is emission free when driving on hydrogen and the fuel cell gives, especially at low capacity, the highest performance. Furthermore the use of hydrogen is extremely flexible because it is generated from many different energy sources. Hydrogen also scores highly in terms of user friendliness (filling-up time, range, life-span).
Sustainable gas variables and electric conveyances
At the moment large scale introduction of the fuel cell into the market is not yet viable, because it is technically underdeveloped and expensive. This raises the question of what the intervening period of sustainability of mobility will look like.
Besides thecontinuation of the use of fossil fuels, sustained gas variants and hybrid electric vehicles will come into play. Both are important in the transition to driving on hydrogen and may reinforce each other.