Connecting Clean Mobility conference – agreement all round on first day
Optimism, especially about achievements in their own town, province, region, or country, was the common factor in the stories of most speakers on the first day of the Connecting Clean Mobility Conference of 14-15 November in Arnhem. Few critical remarks were made as there was little time for discussion with four speakers per session. But attendees were enthusiastic about the first day.
Ms. Jacqueline Cramer, Dutch Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment (VROM), opened a natural gas filling station in the city of Nijmegen earlier this morning. More stations are to be opened in 2008 in the province of Gelderland, which promotes itself as ‘hydrogen valley’ and wants to take on a leading role, as explained by provincial governor mr. Clemens Cornielje.
Cramer gave an overview of her ambitious programme New energy for the climate, launched two months ago. Dr. Volkhard Riechmann, head of the North Rhine-Westphalian (NRW) department of Energy, Climate Protection and Mining, praised the Dutch pragmatism, “You don’t have to ask so many people!” Whereas NRW has no real power, for its dependence on the federal government, which, in its turn depends on Brussels – as do the Netherlands. He lamented the dependance on Russion gas import as well.
All declared themselves shocked by a photograph ms. Cramer showed of smog-filled skies above Los Angeles in the sixties. Is fear the main motive?
Two-step strategy
Another widely shared view amongst the speakers was the two-step strategy of implementing the use of natural gas as soon as possible, followed by driving on biogas. Natural gas is a success in Germany: the country has a dense infrastructure of 760 natural gas filling stations. Most speakers were confident that in about 5 years the Netherlands can have 250 stations as well. Important, as a visitor of the first Driving on natural gas and biogas session pointed out, for Germans on holidays.
Dr. Catrinus Jepma, scientific director of Energy Delta Research Centre, in the same session stressed the problems of traffic noise and most of all NOxes (European guidelines will soon be stricter), apart from well-known CO2 and fine particles.
The benefits of natural and biogas were pointed out throughout the day by various speakers. According to mr. Henk Verbeek of Rolande LNG, even one of the few problems left, that of a small action radius, could be solved by liquifying natural gas, or even biogas.
Remains to be solved the constantly referred to ‘chicken or egg dilemma’, featuring
infrastructure (fuelling stations) as chicken and cars as eggs – or the other way around. But with the large Gelderland fuelling stations investments combined with those of private parties announced today, that could soon be solved.
A pity opposing party Shell was absent...
Pipelines
Funny detail: both hydrogen and natural or biogas proponents want to revive the Rotterdam and Ruhr Area pipelines that have lead a slumbering existence since the thirties. But they can be used for one type of fuel only...
Networking
Networks proved to be useful and thriving. Lots of visitors already knew each other or each other’s names. When asked, all replied they found the conference useful mainly for networking purposes – no one expected exciting news. Whether Erdgas Mobil (and its Dutch equivalent Aardgas Mobiel) or MindsinMotion, they met with enthusiastic response throughout.
The interactive MindsinMotion session Networking the Networks did not have the initially aspired outcome. While asked for concrete project ideas, attendees found it most useful to learn about best practices: how did successful projects come about? As one of the attendees commented, “when I meet new people it is nice to share experiences, but I am reluctant to reveal my interests.”
So how can MindsinMotion help? By revealing success stories, not just online, but in real life as well. Expect to find MindsinMotion at upcoming conferences!
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