Energy Infrastructure Noord-Holland

The study is a co-production of the Province of Noord-Holland, Municipality of Amsterdam, Port of Amsterdam, Liander, Gasunie, TenneT and the consortium of CE Delft, Studio Marco Vermeulen and TNO / ECN. Within this research, Studio Marco Vermeulen was responsible for spatial exploration and the integral picture of future energy development and the impact on the necessary energy infrastructure.

We want to electrify cars, detach homes and factories from natural gas, generate sustainable energy and much more. This means that usage patterns, which were previously predictable (for example: cars use petrol, LPG or diesel), can change radically in the future, both in size and with different energy carriers.

This study was inspired by the search for the spatial consequences of the energy transition. We have looked into the corners of the playing field in three future perspectives and tried to connect spatial implications to this. In three future perspectives for 2050, possible outcomes of a particular line of thinking and consequences for northern Noord-Holland and the sub-regions will become clear. In the first perspective, the emphasis is on individual measures and residents will better insulate their homes. Extensive electrification will take place in accordance with the ambition of natural gas. The aim will be to balance supply and demand for electricity so as to not overload the electricity grid. In the second perspective, we assume that it has been decided to intensively exploit the enormous geothermal potential in the subsurface below northern Noord-Holland, for use in areas such as space heating. And with the third perspective, the region uses energy to profile itself as a national energy region.