Lunch seminar: Rethink strategic autonomy

Introduction

New world leaders are putting pressure on climate agreements. For example, the US recently deliberately toppled a global climate agreement for maritime shipping (IMO) that was a decade in the making. Russia's war in Ukraine and the current administration in America are both turning global world trade on its head.

We also see the disturbing developments in how the agendas of big tech and big oil are undermining the democratic legal order, with centralisation of wealth and power. In addition, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is continuing unabated and now almost three years old. In light of this series of global events, the realisation of strategic autonomy in Europe has become a priority on the agenda of European policymakers.

At the same time, production in many industries in Europe is under pressure, including the production of renewable fuels and green chemistry. This leads to a striking discrepancy between the policy theme of strategic autonomy and market players who do not experience a level playing field with the current market conditions. Together, these market conditions and European regulations are encouraging market players to import renewable fuels.

In this public seminar, we explore this tension between striving for strategic autonomy based on European production with access to a raw material base (biomass and renewable electricity) and imports of renewable fuels.

Access to affordable renewable electricity is essential for many facets of society. Negative prices or low prices offer a great benefit to society. Low prices for renewable electricity improve the production position, including for renewable fuels in Europe. Expansion of wind energy is critical, even though an important tender for a new wind production infrastructure recently failed.

Electrification would make the Netherlands richer and independent of energy sources (Jan Vos,Nedzero). But how can the renewable fuel sector contribute to this?

The position of the petrochemical industry is under unprecedented pressure in the Netherlands, driven by a combination of factors such as global climate change, sudden policy change by new governmental administrations, and competition to establish key energy producers that are viable and sustainable in the current market. How can these assets play a role in new green production clusters?

Given that the access to the new raw materials for renewable fuels namely biomass and renewable electricity is inherently decentral by nature, what does this mean when it comes to thinking about the new production system? A more decentralised system can contribute to robustness.

The programme includes a discussion with Arthur Hustad of Ineratec, providing a key-fuel production technology for a proposition of Rheinmetall for decentralised renewable fuel production for the military. Furthermore, Professor Gert Jan Kramer from the Sustainable Industry Lab will be presenting four bold ideas brought forward in the recent report on an integrated transition strategy for the Dutch basic industry (2025-2040).

During this seminar, we will also look at the relationship between electrons and molecules in more decentralized settings, new green production systems, with conversations with several parties including Clean Energy Hubs and JP Energiesystemen. Furthermore, we will investigate with Ayla Uslu, TNO's recommendations on how to improve the tools to produce advanced biofuels in the Netherlands.

Join the conversation

In this lunch seminar, we invite you to rethink renewable fuels for strategic autonomy together with speakers from academia, the electricity sector, new production techniques for sustainable fuels, and market players led by host and science communicator Barry Fitzgerald.

The annual public seminar on Monday 15 December will take place in Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, from 11:30 to 15:00.


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Preliminary programme

• 11:30 - 12:00 | Walk ins and registration (collecting lunch) 
• 12:00 - 12:10 | Event start and introduction
• 12:10 - 12:20 | Analysis of Platform Renewable Fuels: renewable fuels proposition for strategic autonomy and defence operations - Loes Knotter (PHB)
• 12:20 - 12:45 | Four bold ideas to keep industries in the Netherlands - Professor Gert Jan Kramer (Sustainable Industry Lab) 
• 12:45 - 12:55 | The demand for energy hubs forrenewable fuels and electricity - Theo Heinink, (Clean Energy Hubs programme)
• 12:55 - 13:10 | Decentralised systems to addressgrid congestion issues -  Jan Pereboom, JP Energy Systems ‍
• 13:10 - 13:30 | Proposition from Ineratec and Rheinmetall for decentralised renewable fuel production for defense operations - Arthur Hustad (Ineratec)
• 13:30 - 13:45 | Discussion on decentral vs central energy production with Arthur Hustad and Ayla Uslu (TNO).  
• 13:45 - 13:55 | Discussion and reflection from independent Chairman of Platform Renewable Fuels Professor John Grin
• 13:55 - 14:00 | Wrap up
• 14:00 - 15:00 | Coffee & tea - networking