Risk mitigation and investability of a U-PHS project in the Netherlands

We review the status of a 1.4 GW, 8 GWh underground pumped hydro storage (U-PHS) project in the southern Netherlands, which has been under development since the 1980s. Its history shows how the prospect of a large-scale U-PHS for The Netherlands (a country whose proverbial flatness prohibits PHS) has been attractive in every decade, based on...

Potential and challenges of low-carbon energy options: Comparative assessment of alternative fuels for the transport sector

The deployment of low-emission alternative fuels is crucial to decarbonise the transport sector. A number of alternatives like hydrogen or dimethyl ether/methanol synthesised using CO₂ as feedstock for fuel production (hereafter refer to “CO₂-based fuels”) have been proposed to combat climate change. However, the...

Why fully liberalised electricity markets will fail to meet deep decarbonisation targets even with strong carbon pricing

Full decarbonisation of the electricity system is one of the key elements to limit global warming. As this transition takes place, the electricity system must maintain system adequacy and remain affordable to consumers. In liberalised electricity markets investors are seen as key actors driving this transition. Due to the intermittent...

The influence of the energy transition on the significance of key energy metrics

Transparent, consistent accounting of climate-related energy targets is a fundamental building block to the architecture of international climate agreements. Many of these climate targets focus on the transition of the energy system which has led to the development of various energy transition scenarios. Now that fossil resources are being...