January 25th Energy Storage NL (ESNL) presented the National Energy Storage Action Plan to Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten. The sector organization is a partner of the entrepreneurs’ organization for the technology industry FME. With this action plan, ESNL puts on the agenda the need to accelerate the energy transition through the use of energy storage and conversion. The Action Plan contains various proposals to remove barriers to all forms of storage.
Sustainable energy system of the future
The National Energy Storage Action Plan 2023 contains concrete points that policymakers can use. It paints a picture of the sustainable energy system of the future, in which the storage of sustainable energy in, for example, electricity, molecules or heat offers the necessary flexibility to eventually no longer have to use fossil fuels. The proposals address several challenges, including the lack of legal status for energy storage, the lack of rapid permitting procedures and the need for up-to-date data on the state of the electricity grid.
“Awareness is growing that the energy transition will only succeed with energy storage. Energy storage makes our system independent of other countries, ensures lower energy prices and makes fossil gas and coal-fired power plants superfluous. In this way we accelerate the energy transition and we also tackle the energy crisis,” says ESNL chairman Maarten van den Heuvel.
To balance
The high energy prices, the growing share of sustainable generation and the increasing network congestion problem have quickly made the need for energy storage in the Netherlands clear. Storage plays an important role in balancing the weather-dependent supply and demand for renewable energy. For example, batteries can contribute to a stable electricity grid, thermal storage can provide homes with heat and sustainable molecules can be stored in large volumes to bridge seasons.
At present, there are still many barriers preventing the storage business case. This means that the Netherlands is lagging behind compared to other European countries. Van den Heuvel: “The cabinet must realize that a proactive government policy is necessary, because the market cannot solve this without removing barriers. With the National Energy Storage Action Plan, we are making concrete suggestions to the government to realize the necessary acceleration together”.
Possibilities and prerequisites of green hydrogen & ammonia
Proton Ventures was invited to join this session for the molecules section to explain the possibilities and prerequisites of green hydrogen & ammonia import, storage and cracking.
In the above picture, from left to right: Paul Baan – CEO Proton Ventures, Jeroen Neefs – Branchemanager Energy Storage NL, Rob Jetten – Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat, Maarten van den Heuvel – Voorzitter Energy Storage NL, Dennis Schiricke – CEO SemperPower B.V. en Siebe Geerts – CEO HoCoSto.