Energy Supply & Industry

The ESI group focuses on all aspects of energy supply and on energy use within industry, both within the Netherlands and at the European level. Major themes in these areas are Gas and electricity supply, Regulation of gas and electricity networks, Biomass and Industrial energy use and emissions.

Within the gas and electricity supply theme, we look at developments in electricity production capacity in both the Netherlands and in Europe and the role of different technologies. This includes not only conventional technologies such gas and coal fired power plants, but also carbon capture & storage (CCS), renewable energy such wind, solar and biomass, both in large scale and decentralized generation capacity, and nuclear energy. Another major focus within this theme is gas and electricity markets, where we study the structure of energy markets, energy pricing and investments in production technologies. Issues addressed in our research in this theme are policy questions related to the conditions and regulations set by the government for energy markets and energy production technologies, the impact of CO₂ emission trading on investment decisions and impact of intermittent electricity supply (i.e. wind energy) on power markets and security of supply.

The subject of the regulation of gas and electricity networks theme is the economic regulation of gas and electricity networks. The focus is on regulatory improvements regarding investments in network extensions and reinforcements, innovation necessary for integration of intermittent energy sources in electricity networks and tariff setting that provide incentives for optimal operation of networks.

In the biomass theme, we study the role of biomass in energy supply and more general in a biobased economy. This includes not only analysis of individual technologies such as gasification of biomass, biofuels and co-firing, but also the consequences of the use of biomass for the energy system as a whole and the impact of biomass use in energy production for agriculture and forest policies.

The industrial energy use and emissions theme examines developments in energy use in industry, improvements in energy efficiency and emissions of both greenhouse gas and local air polluting emissions.

The experts

Paul Koutstaal (Senior Manager and Coordinator Electricity markets and networks)
Anne Sjoerd Brouwer
Marit van Hout
Jeroen de Joode (Coordinator Gas markets and networks)
Paul Lako
Hamid Mozaffarian (Coordinator Biobased economy)
Frans Nieuwenhout
Özge Özdemir
Arjan Plomp
Ad Seebregts
Jos Sijm
Adriaan van der Welle

For more information please contact the senior manager Paul Koutstaal.