The Circular Industries Talks are organized every second Wednesday at the Circular Industries Hub. In this edition, Sander Mertens, Director Centre of Expertise "Mission Zero" & Professor "Energy in Transition" at The Hague University of Applied Science, talks about energy proof industries. Curious for more? Take a look at the recording at the bottom of this page.
Be energy future-proof and include legislation in this but do not rely on legislation as a guide line. Base your future-proof energy system on the trends and prepare for that."
To be future-proof, the industry must prepare for the energy landscape of the future. But what will this future look like regarding energy? Wind and solar energy are the primary sources of sustainable energy. While there are other sources of sustainable energy, they tend to be smaller and less cost-effective. Consequently, we are shifting from fossil energy based on molecules to sustainable energy derived from solar and wind sources. This dramatic transition gives rise to a "war of commodities" and presents significant challenges for the energy infrastructure, which is not equipped to handle this shift. Among other issues, the transition to electrical energy carriers causes imbalances and congestion problems that are likely to persist for decades.
Therefore, if the industry aims to be future-proof and capable of navigating the energy transition, along with the associated changes in energy carriers, it must take proactive steps. How can this be achieved? By designing Energy Hubs that align energy supply and demand with the three energy carriers: molecules, electrons, and heat (vibrating atoms). However, the design of these Energy Hubs requires a complex transdisciplinary approach, addressing technical, economic, social, and governance issues. Be prepared!
Curious about the whole story? Listen to Sander Mertens in the Circular Industries talks.
The Circular Industries talks
The goal of the Circular Industries talks is to share knowledge across Leiden, Delft and Erasmus and to complement and deepen the knowledge already available within the Circular Industries Hub. The talks are organized on Wednesday morning from 10:00 to 11:00. The talks are online (Microsoft Teams).