The latest news from ECN

Issue 4 - December 2014

Greenhouse gas diet:
measure what you eat

ECN explores opportunities
in the Middle East

Measurements and improvements at a new wind farm

Inspiring Back Contact workshop

• On 14 January 2015, ECN is organising a stakeholder dialogue. With clients and partners we will talk about Corporate Social Responsibility.

• Professionals from more than 50 countries will meet from 10 to 12 March during EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 in Denmark. Naturally, ECN will also be represented at this largest offshore wind energy conference in the world.

• In 2015, ECN would like to celebrate its 60-year anniversary with you. Check out our event calender and newsletter regularly to learn the dates.

Circular economy:
Waste does not exist

In an environment in which new applications are found for waste materials waste does not exist. Nevertheless, some residual materials are contaminated to such an extent that they cannot be directly used in other materials. So how can we ensure more recycling? ECN investigates the circular economy.

ECN contributes to the creation of a circular economy, which is a living environment in which raw materials are only extracted once and are continuously reused in the same or different applications. In this way, materials can stay in the chain and remain in use for years to come.
Read more

Corbion improves sustainability
with gypsum-free technology

Industrial processes are energy-intensive. This influences the CO₂footprint, even with sustainable products. This was also the case with Corbion, the largest producer of ‘biobased’ lactic acid, lactates and derivatives in the world. Meanwhile, the company developed an innovative gypsum-free process for the production of lactic acid. ECN advised Corbion on the effects of the process. The outcome? A successful collaboration that led to an improvement in sustainability and a reduction of Corbion’s CO₂ footprint.

Applied research is essential
for the Energy Agreement

The government has made substantial cutbacks in the budget for applied research. Paul Korting, CEO of ECN, believes that this is a mistake. Applied research - as well as fundamental research - is important for society. With a limited budget, promising and much-needed technologies cannot reach the market. Moreover, the costs of the implementation are unnecessarily high. If we still want to achieve the goals of the Energy Agreement, we need to invest in applied energy research now.
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Industrial companies join forces

Each industrial company can save on energy and raw materials. If we join forces, the effects will be even greater. One company’s residual material can be another’s raw material, for example. ECN will explore the possibilities. Collaboration with other (industrial) companies will not only improve your own competitive position, but also the position of the region. It highlights the potential of cluster strengthening. Together with consortia, ECN maps the entire input and output of raw materials and energy.
Read more

Successful offshore wind mission to Japan and Korea

ECN COO Robert Kleiburg led a delegation of 25 Dutch offshore wind companies and knowledge institutes. They visited Japan and South Korea at the end of October as part of an economic mission led by Dutch Economic Affairs minister Henk Kamp. During the mission, cooperation agreements were signed involving the investment of billions of euros. Read more on windnu.nl (only available in Dutch).

Research into thermal energy storage

ECN is participating in research into the technical and economic feasibility of thermal energy storage technology in industrial processes. Together with DOW and AkzoNobel, we investigate the possibilities for thermal energy storage in their batch processes, among other things. Energy savings, investment costs and the payback period will also be studied. Read more on Institute for Sustainable Process Technology.

We document our latest insights in research reports and presentations. We have compiled a 'Must Read' list of the top three publications for you.

‘Towards 2030’: a secure gas supply
Energy Trends
Sustainable landfill management; how can we protect the soil?

More information?

You can follow ECN on Twitter and on our website. We will keep you updated on the latest information in the field of sustainable energy.

This newsletter is published by ECN for its relations. Copying of articles or parts thereof is allowed provided that the source is mentioned.

Greenhouse gas diet: measure what you eat

ECN explores opportunities in the Middle East