Dutch research institutes combine strengths for sustainable energy
07 December 2006 by TNWToday | M&CPress release - A number of leading Dutch research institutes have launched the Dutch Research Platform on Sustainable Energy Supply (NODE). NODE aims to make the scientific knowledge about future energy sources developed by the respective partners more accessible for governments and industry. The platform will also promote partnerships, such as those between institutes and companies. NODE moreover intends to inspire social debate about the future of energy supply in the Netherlands.
Energy questions
Questions relating to energy will dominate political and social agendas in the coming decades. To reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and significantly cut CO2 emissions, serious investments must be made in alternative, sustainable energy sources. Our climate and energy sources will be placed under even greater pressure in the years to come, as countries like China and India continue to experience strong economic growth.
Combining strenghts
"Only technology can provide solutions to the energy problems," says Tim van der Hagen, one of NODE''s initiators and a professor of Reactor Physics at TU Delft. "The problem is that research is being fragmented at the moment and policy-makers, industry and scientists cannot consistently reach the levels of agreement needed to arrive at attainable solutions." It is for this reason that leading research institutes, including the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), FOM-Rijnhuizen and the three Dutch technological universities, have decided to combine their strengths in the Netherlands Research Platform for Sustainable Energy Supply.
Public debate
These institutes are all conducting top research in the field of future energy technology, such as solar cells, hydrogen, biomass, wind-energy and nuclear fission and fusion. NODE''s first step will be to map all existing research. Meetings and consultations will be devoted to partnership projects and exchanging knowledge with industry. In addition to the improved accessibility of knowledge and the joint development of new technologies, NODE will actively and structurally participate in the social debate about the future of energy in the Netherlands. Van der Hagen: "Choices about energy systems are for the long-term. The public and political debates are powerfully driven by current events. We therefore want to encourage themutual exchange of ideas, knowledge and facts between scientists, in order to provide the government, media and the public with relevant and valid knowledge. ''Pros'' and ''cons'' must be clear to everyone, so that discussions about energy can focus on opportunities, instead of ''yes it is'', ''no it isn''t'' type dialogues."
NODE participates in the development of educational material to teach secondary school students about sustainable energy and is convinced that close cooperation with the government will lead to more effective allocation of research funds.
Note for editors:
For more information, please contact:
Professor Tim van der Hagen,
T: +31 (0)15 278 2105,
E: t.h.j.j.vanderhagen@tudelft.nl,
Chris Hellinga, NODE office,
T: +31 (0)15 278 7960 or +31 (0)6 5200 0587,
E: info@energieplatform.nl
Ineke Boneschansker, TU Delft Science Information Officer,
T: +31 (0)15 278 8499,
E: i.boneschansker@tudelft.nl.
Read the (Dutch) letter to the editor published in De Volkskrant''s opinion page Forum on 7 December 2006.
