News item | 03-10-2023 | 17:37
The Dutch industry collaborates in five geographical regions (Northern Netherlands, North Sea Canal Area, Rotterdam-Moerdijk, Chemelot and Zeeland-West-Brabant).
In addition to economies of scale and the ability to share infrastructure, this also offers great opportunities to accelerate the intended sustainability. That is why five so-called cluster directors were appointed today by Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate). They will manage the progress of projects and resolve bottlenecks, for example between companies, governments and grid operators surrounding investments in energy infrastructure.
The five cluster directors are: Tjisse Stelpstra (Northern Netherlands), Ingrid Post (North Sea Canal Area), Cees Oudshoorn (Zeeland), Anne-Marie Spierings (Rotterdam-Moerdijk) and Mark Verheijen (Chemelot). Minister Adriaansens will also appoint a director for cluster six (other industry in the Netherlands such as food, ceramics and paper and cardboard industries) at a later date. More intensive collaboration between public and private parties is essential to make the industry more sustainable. It National Program for Sustainable Industry largely shapes this public-private partnership in the six industry clusters.
Minister Micky Adriaansens (EZK): “The total CO2reduction of 14.5 megatonnes for 2030 that is now in sight, amounts to more than 90% of the targets for the largest industrial emitters. But the sustainability challenge does not only apply to custom companies. We would like the entire industry here in the Netherlands to make the step from gray to green. That’s why I’m happy with these five directors. From now on, they are the bridge builders between all parties involved in a cluster, but also between The Hague and the cluster. The cluster directors help to solve the bottlenecks.”
Cluster Energy Strategies
A cluster energy strategy (CES) will also be delivered per cluster in the second quarter of 2024. Based on plans from industrial companies, they map out the need for energy infrastructure. The cluster directors play an important role in the quality of the CES. For the first time they are using a so-called national system Data Safe House (DSH), in which data and information are managed, making decision-making and therefore the sustainability process more efficient.