Energy hubs - local partnerships between companies, residents and institutions in which energy flows are coordinated and exchanged locally - can make a major contribution to an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy system in the Netherlands. So says new research by CE Delft. This requires selective deployment, as outcomes vary considerably per hub type.
The study shows that there are 2,500 potential energy hubs in the Netherlands, 900 of which are expected to have a positive social impact. Expressed in euros, this gives a social value of between 10.5 and 20.4 billion from 2025 to 2050. This includes a grid impact reduction: if realised, 3.3 to 6.2 gigawatts of grid reinforcement could be avoided. This is according to new research by CE Delft, commissioned by Top Sector Energy and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
More than just technical potential
"This research is a new building block to better understand the role and value of energy hubs for the energy system," says Marjolein Bot, programme director System Integration of Top Sector Energy. "Apart from the conclusions, CE Delft's methodology also offers a way to look at energy hubs from a societal perspective, rather than exclusively technical or economic. The analysis also takes into account, for example, CO2 emissions, air quality, and the possibility of realising more housing. There are also other reasons to develop an energy hub, for example to encourage local cooperation and greater energy independence."
Different types
Twelve archetypes were investigated in the social cost-benefit analysis (mkba), ranging from business parks and residential areas to sewage treatment plants and greenhouse horticulture clusters. The analysis shows that different energy hubs offer not only technical benefits, but also economic and environmental value. However, there are differences between types of energy hubs. For example, in existing all-electric districts and logistics sites, costs often exceed benefits. Energy hubs mainly deliver social value in scalable applications. These are energy applications that can contribute to local upgrading of energy flows or where sustainable heat can be used, such as sewage treatment plants, greenhouse clusters and new housing estates.
Insight into risks
According to CE Delft lead researcher Martijn Blom: "With this methodology in hand, developers can gain a quicker insight into the risks and benefits of an energy hub. The sooner you have those in view, the more promising the approach can be. The archetypes from our studies are a first starting point, but a specific analysis of a site is needed."
With this methodology in hand, developers can gain quicker insight into the risks and benefits of an energy hubE Delft lead researcher Martijn Blom
Four recommendations
1. Focus selectively on specific types of energy hubs. Prioritise models that deliver structural positive social value.
2. Facilitate collaboration and leaps in scale. Upscaling and standardisation can reduce organisational costs and increase benefits.
3. Continue to commit to the development of energy hubs. Further development will be necessary to investigate and substantiate social value. Even for energy hubs currently regarded as less promising in this report, relatively small changes can lead to positive results.
4. The analysis shows that societal value, grid impact and CO₂ reduction often – though not always – go hand in hand. The greenhouse horticulture cluster (archetype 4) and the new-build housing estate (archetype 10) have positive societal value but result in higher CO₂ emissions. These trade-offs must be taken into account in the policy and design of energy hubs.
About the survey
The study 'Societal value of twelve archetypes of energy hubs for the Netherlands' was carried out by CE Delft on behalf of Topsector Energy and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The analysis provides policymakers, grid operators and market players with insights into the social costs and benefits of energy hubs and forms a basis for future policy and pilots. The study builds on previous research by Haskoning on families of energy hubs
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