How to implement the green transition in the energy intensive sectors?

This question needs not only national but also a European and global response. The Netherlands and Denmark are both frontrunners in deploying renewable energy in power generation and are developing innovate solutions in the next steps of a European green energy transition. There are, however, challenges in the next steps of the energy transition as several sectors are not coupled to a green electricity network. In both the Netherlands and Denmark this is seen in the transport, agriculture and industrial sectors. 

Solutions to integrate the renewable energy in a future energy system is dependent on both an expansion of renewables, but also storage and power-to-x technologies. Simply put, power-to-x enables the green transition as it empowers the conversion, storage and expansion of renewable energy – e.g. wind and solar – as well as transferal of renewable electricity to CO2 heavy sectors such as transportation and industrial production. Sector coupling focusing on the synergies between renewable energy and green fuels such as green hydrogen and biogas will play an important role on the path to a carbon neutral energy system. 

With the EU Green Deal, the EU Commission is paving the way for more investments in green hydrogen production (Energy Valley) and other new technologies. Having a bilateral project in hydrogen, as recently agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding, Denmark and the Netherlands have an obvious opportunity to join forces to develop power-to-x solutions and projects in the coming years.