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NEW ENERGY
[EDIT:
Maastricht/Heerlen, January 15]
Climate change, high energy prices and the consequent desire to be less reliant on fossil fuels mean that this is the age for new energy initiatives - yet another area where Limburg’s Acceleration agenda is showing the way.
Among the projects currently ongoing is the Heerlen-based, EU-supported, international (i.e.: with British, French and German partners) mine water project. This uses geothermal energy, deriving from mine water, as an alternative energy source to heat and cool buildings and city districts, drawing on South Limburg’s historic source of energy in another form.
Then there is the pioneering NoNox (i.e.: no knocks) technology for bus engines powered by natural gas. NoNox has developed a high-quality product for environment-friendly gas engines, including natural gas and biogas. The most important innovation is the development of a new gas valve. This electronically operated control valve ensures that natural gas engines operate as efficiently as diesel engines.
Solland Solar’s solar cell plant at the Avantis cross-border Science and Business Park is featured in the webcast linked below. In October 2005, Solland started its first production line with a capacity of 20 MW p.a. (= 5. 5m solar cells/year). The second line of 40 MW p.a. was readied for end 2006. Solland Solar was also one of the companies nominated for the FEM/Deloitte Rising Star Award 2006. It achieved second place.
Scheuten Glas from North Limburg, another player in this industry is also contributing to the Province’s path breaking role in this field of new energy.
Avantis, the cross-border science and business park, is the unique base of operations for the developing new energy cluster, thanks to its location astride the Dutch-German, where Limburg and North-Rhine Westphalia’s (NRW) Aachen Region link hands and join forces producing valuable synergies. NRW, it should be noted, invests more in new energy product development than the Netherlands as a whole. E-Avantis (see below) is a framework for future developments.
Additional Acceleration Agenda Assets in New Energy:
The Energy Fund
This is an investment fund to be fed in part by private investors. The fund will ensure that genuine business cases are given a chance.
E-Avantis
Avantis is an opportunity zone for Europe, according to the Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs. It is already developing as the location for an activity cluster focusing on energy. It is expected to be the site of an institute dedicated to linkage among the Netherlands, North-Rhine Westphalia and Flanders in the field of new energy.
Master’s program in Energy Studies
R&D, business and training with a new energy focus and support from the RWTH (University) in Aachen and research and educational organizations in the Netherlands will consolidate this new energy base and anchor the value chain.
Solar Focus
Limburg’s solar energy hub will also provide opportunities for ancillary developments in chemicals and a silicon production plant is an interesting prospect.
FESTpv
FESTpv is a new non-profit, industrially–oriented R&D and training Center for the Silicon Industry.
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