Subsidy for gasification technology in Noord-Holland

The Province of Noord-Holland is providing €300.000 in co-financing. The total subsidy for the project amounts to nearly €1,3 million. The "Sustainable Molecules" project was developed by the InVesta Expertise Center (Alkmaar) in close collaboration with New Energy Coalition. In the coming years, various demonstration projects will be implemented together with consortium partners.

New Energy Coalition focuses on a sustainable future by helping to accelerate the energy transition, both nationally and internationally. The northern energy region (Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Noord-Holland Noord) is the perfect breeding ground and testing ground for energy innovations. The knowledge and results obtained are/will be made available for the benefit of all.

For the transport sector and (chemical) industry, which require high-temperature heat, sustainable molecules (gases) are essential for achieving sustainability. At InVesta, various parties are collaborating to develop innovative technologies to generate green gas, biofuels, and sustainable raw materials from residual materials. With the nearly €1,3 million in subsidies, the partners in the project consortium are carrying out various projects to accelerate energy innovations.

Objectives of the consortium

InVestais a network organisation in which government, businesses, and knowledge and educational institutions work closely together. Demonstration projects will be implemented in the coming years, together with consortium partners in "Sustainable Molecules"—Biolake, Sustenso, GP Groot (Hynoca), and TNO. Inholland University of Applied Sciences is involved in all projects as a knowledge partner, with interns, graduates, and (multidisciplinary) student project groups working on issues and assignments. InVesta is the project coordinator and provides the necessary facilities and infrastructure. New Energy Coalition will support the projects in their realisation.

The Sustainable Molecules project consortium has the following objectives:

• Accelerating technological developments that enable large-scale commercial applications of 'syngas', hydrogen and CO2;
• Connecting education, research and business to achieve new technological developments in the field of energy technology;
• Strengthening the energy cluster in the Alkmaar region by creating jobs. Knowledge development and collaboration between education and practice.

Reactions following the award of project subsidies:

• Peter Simões, director of InVesta: "We are delighted with the award of this grant. This marks the start of projects that will accelerate InVesta's activities in Boekelermeer in the coming years."
• Elly Konijn, Alderman of the Municipality of Alkmaar: "Bundling all these energy innovations in one place accelerates and stimulates the growth of knowledge in this field. And that's a wonderful development in light of Alkmaar's status as a city of knowledge. It's great to see that the involvement of Inholland Alkmaar creates a connection between education, research, and business."
• Edward Stigter, Deputy for Energy and Climate for the Province of Noord-Holland: "We greatly applaud this development. To achieve the objectives of the Climate Agreement, we as a province are committed to an optimal energy mix. We desperately need these kinds of innovations for this."
• Joep Sanderink, project manager at New Energy Coalition: "To green the entire energy system, we'll need to make gases and liquids more sustainable, in addition to electricity from wind and solar. These demonstration projects are an excellent step in the right direction to also achieve green molecules."

Demonstration projects

Consortium partners Biolake, Sustenso, GP Groot, and TNO will carry out various demonstration projects with the grant:

Project 1
Biolake will build a demonstration plant (torrefaction system) that converts green waste streams into high-quality biofuel. The ERDF subsidy will be used to relocate the current demonstration plant in Wieringerwerf to InVesta's test site in Alkmaar, with the goal of testing and improving the plant. If the Biolake demonstration yields positive results, the plant can be further scaled up and deployed commercially. The project contributes to the rapid processing of currently difficult-to-process waste streams into sustainable biopellets.

Project 2
In the Seaweed project, seaweed is converted into gas using an existing gasification system. Seaweed is a new raw material for this system. TNO will make its small-scale research and testing facility available at the InVesta test site in Alkmaar. TNO and students from Inholland will make a significant contribution to the implementation of this research. TNO will also utilise the seaweed lab in Petten, where TNO and partners are developing the latest technologies for converting biomass into green energy and raw materials.

Project 3
Sustenso Boekelermeer is building a facility where agricultural waste streams will be converted into biogas through fermentation. This biogas will then be upgraded to green gas using algae in an innovative way. The CO2 normally released in this process will now be captured in algae and upgraded to a high-quality natural product (Spirulina).

Project 4
Within the HYNOCA demonstration project, various biomass streams are being converted into hydrogen via an innovative thermal process, suitable for use in the transport sector. Sales will take place via GP Groot's NXT filling station in Boekelermeer. In addition to hydrogen, special biochar will be produced from the carbon component of biomass. Biochar can be used as a soil improver, to make fertilizers circular, and to create a raw material for biocomposites.