Wind meets Gas 2024

1. Guaranteed large-scale landing of wind at sea in Groningen, roughly one-third of the wind energy generated and to be generated on the Dutch part of the North Sea will land in Groningen (Eemshaven) as green electricity or as green hydrogen.

   This can be achieved, for example, by including this location condition in the tender conditions, and/or by including it in the design of the offshore infrastructure.

2. A North Sea-Ems tunnel for cables and pipelines.

   This concerns the guarantee that an Ems corridor for all cables and pipelines for offshore electricity, hydrogen and CO2 to and from Eemshaven, the North Sea-Ems Corridor, will be created in the foreseeable future.

3. Adequate space and infrastructure around Eemshaven/Delfzijl.

   This is necessary to facilitate the intended investments in hydrogen and green raw materials incl. renewable carbon, but also to create a powerful energy hotspot in this area.

1. Measures to combat energy poverty and crumbling support.

   It cannot be true that the region that has supplied our country and surrounding countries with gas for decades and supplies roughly one-third of our country's electricity presents the highest energy poverty. Thus, to restore confidence and support, it seems advisable to address this quickly. Many initiatives to this end can be developed in the reasonably near future, such as a district heating network.

2. Measures to support local SMEs.

   Many SMEs in the region are looking for ways to green their energy supply. Electrification is an option, but this increasingly encounters long-term bottlenecks related to demand congestion on the grid and uncertain power prices. Green hydrogen or possibly green gas from the region is a good alternative, if available at acceptable and (via long-term contracts) stable prices. Part of the hydrogen production and imports in Groningen could be reserved for this purpose and delivered to SMEs through existing distribution networks via special regional tenders at favorable conditions.

3. Measures to strengthen innovation capacity and employment.

   Projections broadly indicate that the replacement of current natural gas activities with hydrogen activities can ensure that the jobs lost in the natural gas sector can be (more than) compensated by those in the new hydrogen activities. However, the net employment effect increases substantially if the region succeeds in becoming a major innovation hub. Therefore, it is important that the education, research and testing activities in the Northern region be bundled and strengthened as soon as possible into a Hydrogen Valley Campus of European stature.

To help kick-start the plans for the 6 steps of the Future of Groningen a large group of vocational, higher education and university students, PhD’s, and young professionals, developed innovative ideas via Hackathons and workshops in the months prior to Wind meets Gas. We thoroughly selected the three most creative ideas, and they will be plenary presented at Wind meets Gas and judged by a professional jury. Ideas will be aimed at the following three topics:

1.       Ecology and the issues surrounding the Waddensea

2.       Logistics and Planning Development

3.       Regional benefits and participation, the development SMEs

The winning group will be awarded by the jury with:

·         A cash price of € 1.000, -.

·         A sustainable innovation award.

·         Free publicity via the New Energy Coalition communication channels.