Natural gas production fields onshore in the Netherlands are in decline, and over the course of the next decade, will reach the end of their field life. Instead, more sustainable renewable energy sources like wind and solar power are fulfilling a growing proportion of the country’s total energy needs. However, during the day, when energy requirements are often at their highest, there can be an imbalance between supply and demand, causing grid congestion that could result in a loss of energy supply. Meanwhile, because the gas fields will soon stop production, their locations and related infrastructure are becoming redundant. This leaves us with a question: Is there an opportunity to create a more independent renewable energy system by using the redundant gas infrastructure?
To answer this question, Arcadis created the Compressed Air Transport and Storage System, also known as eCATS. This is an integrated system using redundant natural gas infrastructure to store renewable energy in cases of grid congestion—which occurs when transmission facilities do not have sufficient capacity to deliver the energy required—and restore this energy when needed. This system simultaneously solves the problem of wasted surplus renewable energy while maintaining the value of the infrastructure at natural gas plants. This way, the solution to one challenge has presented a perfect opportunity to tackle others.
Compressing surplus renewable energy into air and storing it in out-of-use natural gas pipelines not only reduces grid congestion but also means this energy can be released later via Expanders. This compressed air energy solution has a wide range of applications. Alongside the main characteristics of eCATS being able to support energy transition and grid stabilization, this solution can also be used to support district heating or the provision of cold air for ambient conditioning or cooling. In this way, the degree of utilization can be increased by up to 95%. Arcadis and Emmett Green are the owners of the eCATS system and are further exploring this innovative concept with Siemens Energy as the preferred engineer and supplier of the eCATS facility.
These exciting leaps forward are only possible through the seamless collaboration of multiple stakeholders—Arcadis, grid operators, local and national government, landowners, Siemens Energy and Emmet Green, to name just a few.
eCATS is a high-value solution that benefits multiple parties and solves multiple problems. Not only can useful, clean energy be reclaimed when it would otherwise be wasted, but the legacy sites of fossil fuel production are finding a new purpose and becoming a valuable part of the journey to reduce our reliance on climate-harming energy production. It is also an excellent way of reducing the costs of decommissioning.
We are currently collaborating with Siemens Energy and Emmett Green to use eCATS to create a storage facility in the province of Drenthe with a 60 MWh capacity, far outstripping the Netherlands’ current largest of 25 MWh.
Storing this energy means the country can continue to increase the proportion of power it uses from renewable sources.
Grid modernization and expansion are key in meeting the Netherlands’ future green energy ambitions. But there are ways we can also reduce wastage and optimize how we use our existing infrastructure to keep up with current needs. eCATS will enable us to repurpose old energy infrastructure and use this in a way that allows us to optimize green energy supply generated from wind and solar farms, helping alleviate net congestion of grids and create a more stable energy supply.
After the production from oil and gas fields has stopped, NAM has the task of decommissioning locations and infrastructure. The first step is to identify opportunities with partners for possible reuse (energy hubs). Examples of re-use are GZI Next and the pipeline Roswinkel-Elp and the location in Roswinkel. The infrastructure in Roswinkel could be a good fit for the eCATS system and contribute to solving the congestion challenge in that region.
Create a better future with us
