Michiel Jak
Senior Consultant Sustainability & Hydrogen
Altran Technologies Netherlands BV
Netherlands
An innovative scientist with market sense, international practise leader sustainable energy of the Altran Group

Increase of the efficiency of sustainable sources in a virtual power plant environment

Varying unpredictable sustainable energy sources are true burden for the electricity grid and the commercial exploiters. By combining technologies using different sustainable sources, the total energy input can be utilized and the security of supply can be increased. As a result, the sustainable system, in combination with storage and conventional power, will have an optimized utilization of the sustainable sources and minimal emissions. In addition, new technologies can be incorporated and the system can be adapted to the local needs and sources. This modular and flexible approach does not require major infrastructural changes, equivalent to huge costs and impact on society. The concept can be applied to isolated areas or island situations as well.

In the presentation the concept will be discussed in detail and some applications will be shown.

Key points:
- economical and environmental benefits of virtual power plants
- power capacity increase without major infrastructure changes
- new ICT challenges in next generation power production: liberalization was just the start!

Dr. Michiel Jak is Senior Consultant for Sustainability & Hydrogen at Altran Netherlands (Hoofddorp) since March 2001. His prime task when joining Altran was to start the skill center sustainable energy as one of the new focal areas of the Group. Starting a skill center means analyzing business opportunities, targeting potential clients, build up references and contacts within the Altran Group and recruiting top-notch colleagues.

In the quest and application of energy solutions for a sustainable future, many R&D plans of parties ranging from universities to multi-nationals have been focused on complicated new technologies whose technical feasibility is still unknown. The importance of developing energy technologies that do not burden future generations is generally acknowledged and stimulated by amongst others, local and national authorities and the European Union. A common factor in most of these approaches is the lack of synergy and integration of different aspects and technologies. Altran designed a complete, world-wide unique solution for sustainability on the island of Vlieland in The Netherlands that can be adapted to any isolated situation in the world.

The specific conditions on Vlieland are an ideal starting point for realizing a sustainable island due to the fact that up to now the energy is produced from natural gas and diesel on the island, since there is no electrical grid connection to the mainland. Furthermore, the current power plant is at the end of its technical lifetime and major overhauling is necessary. In addition, the current power plant is located in the center of the only village of the island and causes severe pollution. The island of Vlieland is one of the Dutch Wadden Islands in the north of The Netherlands and is a natural heritage area with four bird sanctuaries. Taking all these conditions together makes it a perfect site for developing a "green" energy supply. But there is more…

The most important aspect of the proposed energy system on the island is the use of different sustainable energy sources that are abundantly available, like wind, solar, biomass and tidal energy. Tidal energy and biomass energy are the only predictable sources and are therefore, the heart of the energy system. A buffer system is required because of the uncertainty of wind and solar energy production and also because of the low tidal energy production which may be nonexistent at dead tide (about six hours per day). On Vlieland, buffering will be done by hydrogen produced from electricity over-production. During these times, when consumption is higher than production, hydrogen will be used to make electricity using fuel cells and gas turbines. In addition, this hydrogen can fuel the public transport on the island, and make it truly green.

Together with various parties new technologies on the verge of commercial breakthrough can be demonstrated. The combination of different sustainable sources results in a true Virtual Power Plant (central control of decentral production units).

Altran has proposed three different projects: the alternative sustainable energy system, energy savings and individual sustainable energy technologies and sustainable transport. Between the three projects the synergy and integration are the most important factors.
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