In order to comply with the agreements in the climate agreement, significant steps must be taken in the Netherlands to reduce CO2 emissions. The use of fossil fuels will be replaced as much as possible by sustainable alternatives such as renewable energy from wind and solar power. The energy transition requires a fundamentally different energy system than the current one, which is insufficiently prepared for the growing demand for energy.
The Province of Zeeland is working with network operators and municipalities to draw up the Provincial Multi-Year Infrastructure, Energy, and Climate Program (PMIEK). The PMIEK 2.0 includes various research and exploratory projects. One of the research projects concerns the municipality of Sluis. Sluis has a unique profile because the tourism sector has a major impact on energy consumption. In addition to regular demand from households and businesses, tourism causes sharp peaks in consumption, particularly in the summer and during holiday periods.
At the same time, the landscape around Sluis is a major tourist attraction, which causes exceptionally high peaks in energy demand and consumption at certain times of the year. This combination—a large and expansive rural area, a limited population density, and strong seasonal peaks—means that both demand patterns and spatial conditions play an important role in the design and construction of the future energy system.
This study provides insight into how the energy system in the municipality of Sluis can be organized in the future. Based on model calculations, various scenarios for the development of the energy system are compared. The scenarios show how choices regarding sustainable generation, heat pumps, and grid integration affect costs, emissions, and grid load.
Lessons from the study
Based on the model calculations, this study provided the grid operator, the province of Zeeland, and the municipality of Sluis with insight into the bottlenecks in terms of potential grid congestion in a municipality that wants to continue to grow and has specific characteristics in terms of energy demand and supply and location.
The anticipated problems surrounding the timing of the expansion of the Oostburg station contributed to Stedin's decision to bring forward the expansion of this station by several years. The study also showed that there are various no-regret options for making the energy mix more sustainable in order to:
a) reduceCO2 emissions in order to achieve the climate targets set, and
b) that are most favorable in terms of cost.
It is often said that "to measure is to know." This study shows that this is true. By understanding the transition and calculating the possible scenarios on the table, network operators and policymakers can make the choices that are most beneficial. Beneficial for residents and for businesses.
Another aspect is that this study has really brought parties together. Various parties, such as the network operator, the province, the municipality, and local entrepreneurs, were of course already in frequent contact with each other. Nevertheless, a study such as this helps to provide insight into and reflect on topics that have a common denominator and that everyone considers important. It usually turns out that if you are aware of each other's interests and concerns and are open about them, various goals can be achieved and it becomes clear who should do what and when.
