An inspiring seminar on the development of an energy hub for business park Ekkersrijt took place at Het Dommelhuis in Son en Breugel on Friday, November 29, 2024. The event, organized by the Municipality of Son and Breugel, brought together companies, policy makers and experts to present and discuss the results of a recent study on sustainable energy solutions for large-scale users at Ekkersrijt. The seminar was an important step towards a more sustainable future for the business park.

"From the Great Harvest approach, we are proud of the developments we are seeing here. A large turnout, half of them entrepreneurs, who in a short time are widely informed about the opportunities for an energy hub. This encourages entrepreneurs to participate in the developments, despite the legal and technical complexity of the subject. Moreover, cooperation is really necessary for the energy system of the (near) future." - Yves Verschueren, Province of North Brabant

The meeting started at 09:00 with a welcome speech by Alderman Boersma of the Municipality of Son and Breugel. He addressed the importance of business park Ekkersrijt and the steps already taken, in cooperation with the province of North Brabant as part of the provincial Great Harvest approach. Mr. Boersma emphasized, "it is crucial that we accelerate both the economic development and the sustainability of the companies at Ekkersrijt. This seminar is an important step in that direction. It not only serves as information to the companies at Ekkersrijt but also contributes to knowledge sharing in the region.'

Existing initiatives and economic impact

The seminar continued with a presentation by Brainport Development. As the economic development company for the region, they introduced how they are trying to solve the network congestion problem in the region across multiple tracks and with various initiatives. For example, knowledge gained from projects such as the Kempisch Bedrijven Park is actively shared within the region. On behalf of Brainport Development, Annemiek Bles and Joost van Montfort explained the economic impact of grid congestion for the Brainport region and elaborated on their approach to facilitating energy hubs* for the Brainport region. 

Analysis companies Ekkersrijt

Rick Peters and Ydwer Kuindersma of Enerzien, who, along with Tom Selten of Simpl Energy, conducted the energy analyses, took everyone through the process they have gone through so far and shared the findings of the study on courses of action for some of the large consumers. For example, grid congestion is immediate or near-term for 70% of the companies studied. At the same time, there are action perspectives for all companies both on an individual and collective level; a message that was well received by those present. 

Remco van Dorst, Lumosa Energy: "We applaud the municipality's initiative to work with entrepreneurs on an Energy Hub. We see enormous benevolence among the entrepreneurs at Ekkersrijt and are happy to contribute to sustainable solutions with innovative products developed in Son en Breugel."

In addition to some generic business solutions "behind the meter," opportunities around collective energy solutions via an energy hub and collective charging plaza were also introduced. 

Overcoming obstacles

A short break was followed by a session on the technical, legal and organizational aspects of developing an energy hub. Experts shared valuable insights on what companies can do individually in making their building more sustainable, how to collaborate effectively, overcome legal obstacles and jointly realize sustainable energy solutions.

How to proceed

The meeting concluded with a plenary discussion led by Floris Schoots on the next steps, actively engaging attendees to consider how the study can be taken forward and what concrete actions are needed to actually realize the energy hub. For example, it was agreed with a select group of companies to further discuss collective solutions in the new year. Companies experiencing grid congestion were also urged to report to the municipality so that they too can become part of the follow-up steps.

The day ended with a networking lunch, where participants had the opportunity to further exchange views and share ideas on energy savings opportunities and collaborations for their own businesses.

Conclusion

The seminar was a great success and helped those involved to better understand how the region can accelerate the energy transition while promoting economic growth. The Municipality of Son and Breugel looks back on a fruitful meeting and is determined to take the next steps towards a sustainable and economically strong Ekkersrijt and region.

* An energy hub (e-hub) is a local cooperation between several parties in the field of energy. Both generators and consumers work together to generate, trade, consume and/or store energy, thereby ensuring that the local energy grid is used more efficiently.