Departing Deputy Director of ECN Kees van der Klein given Royal Honour
On Wednesday 30 March, on his last working day, Kees van der Klein (65 years) was presented with a royal honour during his farewell reception. The honour, Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau, was bestowed on behalf of the Queen by the Mayor of Schagen, Mr Gerrit Westerink. Kees’s successor, Robert Kleiburg, will take up his duties on 1 June 2011, for the time being until the end of the year.
Kees van der Klein
For the past forty years Kees van der Klein has been closely involved in a wide range of positions in ‘his’ organisation: the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). He began at ECN in 1969 as a guest staff member from Leiden University and his positions over the years included project leader in fusion reactor technology, head of the programme office and business unit manager for the Fossil Fuels and Clean Fossil Fuels units. Kees has been Deputy Director since 2003.
The following comments explain just why he was put forward to receive a royal honour:
Ruud Lubbers, chair of the ECN Supervisory Board: “Kees van der Klein was the man who made the path to innovation possible. His efforts helped to make the transition to a renewable energy supply possible. In so doing I feel that Kees has contributed a great service to Dutch society. His honest approach and unceasing conviction of the importance of putting the knowledge and potential of renewable energy into practice have proved indispensable. Kees also played an important role in positioning the Netherlands in the international renewable energy technology market.”
Impressive career
Ulco Vermeulen, Director of Business Development at Gasunie and chair of the New Gas Energy Transition Platform: “The global energy question is complex. Various problems are interconnected: on the one hand the demand for energy is increasing rapidly, and on the other hand the use of fossil fuels is at the root of the greenhouse effect, resulting in climate change. And fossil fuel resources are by their very nature finite. Collaboration within the Netherlands and beyond is vital if we are to ensure energy supplies into the future. Kees van der Klein has made a good step in the right direction during his impressive career. His work has been of national and international importance. So if there is anyone in the Netherlands who deserves to be given a royal honour, I feel it is Kees van der Klein."
Kees may be retiring, but his involvement with the development of renewable energy continues. On 1 October 2010 he joined the Supervisory Board of Stadsverwarming Purmerend BV, the district heating supplier for Purmerend. In this role he hopes to help Stadsverwarming Purmerend to achieve its ambition to become the most sustainable district heating supplier in the Netherlands.
Successor
Kees is being succeeded by Robert Kleiburg. Robert has over 20 years’ experience working at Shell in the areas of renewable energy and climate policy as well as managing a number of sizeable programmes of change.
