Programme Management Regional Energy Strategy 2.0 for the Achterhoek

After a year playing a key role in the Regional Energy Strategy (RES) Achterhoek as project manager Electricity, Climate Mitigation and Change Management’s director has been asked to take over the programme management for the RES Achterhoek as well. Tasks include:

  1. Draft the progress report (due summer 2023): it will answer the key question: is the region on course for realising its target in the year 2030.
  2. Integral programming of the target of 1.35 TWh renewable energy, notably wind power and solar power. Basically, the programme will outline what type and size of project will be realised when and where.
  3. Draft the end report for the Regional Energy Strategy 2.0

Congestion of the current electrical infrastructure is predominant in large parts of the Netherlands and that is also true for the Achterhoek. At the same, time Liander and TenneT are working hard on expansion of the capacity of the power grid. The expansion in power terms is in absolute terms substantial, in light of the necessary growth of renewable energy power, it is clear grid resources are only sufficient if an efficient approach of programming power is taken.

Wind/solar ratio with different scenariosBecause of the huge difference in full load hours between wind (3500 h) and solar power (1000 h), one can win 3.5 times higher renewable energy or CO2 reduction gains with wind power as with solar power with the same investment in infrastructure. Complementary patterns of the two sources during day and over the seasons makes a ratio of 1 to 1 in power to be seen as system efficient.

In energy terms the energy mix of wind/solar should be 3.5 to 1. Nationally, the trend is that solar power grows faster than wind power. Keeping this ratio in check will be one of the challenges for the region Achterhoek.

Posted by Arie van Beek in News

Key Role in Regional Energy Strategy Achterhoek

Recently Climate Mitigation and Change Management has won a project to contribute to the Regional Energy Strategy for the Region Achterhoek. The Regional Energy Strategy approach is a direct effect of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The Netherlands is divided in 35 regions who collectively have to contribute to the 50% reduction target for CO2 emission in 2030 by 35 regions making 35 TWh renewable powermeans of large scale solar and wind power (35 TWh in total). The approach is unique for the Netherlands: top-down in methodology and overall target setting and bottom-up where which renewable energy contributions can be implemented. It is believed this approach will lead to a substantial (and much needed) acceleration of the growth of renewable energy in the Netherlands.

In this project, Arie van Beek is hired as project manager Electricity. His responsibilities include:

  • (Geographical) distribution of the target for Renewable Energy of 8 Municipalities and the Water Authority in the Achterhoek (NL): approximately 1.35 TWh wind and solar energy.
  • Preparing its implementation in a (societal) cost effective way in the power grid of Liander
  • Draft a plan outlining the approach to implement 0.35 TWh solar power on large rooftops in the coming 5 to 10 years.
  • Ensure half of the solar and wind power has local ownership.
Posted by Arie van Beek in News

Final Report Feasibility Study Youth Business Campus Mafraq

Financially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, GreenfieldCities completed its feasibility study for the Mafraq Youth Business campus. Arie van Beek has been the editor-in-chief for the final report. The extensive study convincingly demonstrates feasibility and provides a roadmap for next steps. The Ministry states: “the feasibility study is a solid base for further development of the campus”.

The study concludes the YBC is feasible in all relevant aspects hosting 2500 Jordanian and Syrian youths, working in six sectors: Agri-Food, Water, ICT, Energy, Construction and Hospitality. Risks are at acceptable levels. Impact on at least 8 SDG indicators including “Decent Work and Economic Growth” is very significant.

Sectors on Youth Business Campus GFC

As Chief Sustainability Officer, Arie van Beek was responsible for integrating all relevant Sustainable Development Goals into the spatial planning and design of the campus. Tangible results include a very low energy demand (for heating, but also for cooling), low water demand and a net renewable power producing campus balancing supply and demand through a smart grid and storage as much as possible.

The project is unique as it includes a transition from donor funding to private impact investment financing. This is an important part of the GreenfieldCities vision: forced migration can best be tackled in regions of origin and this can ultimately be done without development aid subsidies. This transition is a hard condition for scalability of the concept and sustainable success.

Perhaps the most striking result is the overwhelming support for the idea inside Jordan. More than 50 ministries, institutions and companies endorse the GreenfieldCities effort for the Youth Business Campus and many of them commit to providing tangible support. In addition, key MPs in Dutch parliament support the Youth Business Campus model.

The required public investment in a working model for dignified, humane and sustainable reception in the region of origin is no-regret and very small compared to the avoided costs for hosting refugees in the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.

Download the final report “Feasibility Study Youth Business Campus Mafraq” (PDF).

 

Posted by Arie van Beek in Publications

Project Management Feasibility Study Pilot Campus Mafraq

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given GreenfieldCities a grant of 400 k€ to fund an in-depth feasibility study for a pilot campus project in Mafraq, Jordan. The campus will serve and accommodate 1500 young local inhabitants, Jordanians and Syrian refugees alike, who will be able to live, study and work on site. The Campus will boost the local economy of Mafraq and will focus on creating jobs in several industries: ICT, Agriculture, Energy, Water and Leisure. Arie van Beek, managing director of Climate Mititgation and Change Management and GreenfieldCities’ Chief Sustainability Officer will carry out the project management.

Posted by Arie van Beek in News

GreenfieldCities Legally Founded

Notary Act GreenfieldCities FoundationSignedOn 19 February 2016 Arie van Beek and his partner Joris Benninga, legally founded an organisation on 19 February 2016 to create sustainable safe havens in the Middle East: GreenfieldCities.org. The flow of refugees from war torn Syria seems to be at an all time high. Additional steady flows from Africa keep coming in where climate change effects are hitting hard on every day’s reality. It cannot be expected these flows will go back to a trickle in the future. With GreenfieldCities.org we want to set out a path to create sustainable cities in the Middle East with the refugees as its citizens. Read more …

Posted by Arie van Beek in News