Offshore wind energy in the North Sea is central to Europe’s energy transition, yet development is slowing amid rising complexity and systemic strain. This thesis investigates the root causes of this stagnation using a systems thinking approach—combining literature review, stakeholder interviews, a Current Reality Tree (CRT), and a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD). The analysis identifies three interconnected systemic causes: Fragmented Energy Governance, Historical Policy Dependence, and Uncoordinated Value Chain Expansion. These factors manifest in permitting delays, financial uncertainty, and supply chain vulnerabilities that reinforce a cycle of underinvestment and delayed deployment. Offshore wind development is categorized across the value chain, financial structure, and global supply network to capture the sector’s evolution and current bottlenecks. Current policy efforts remain insufficient and reactive. To overcome stagnation, the study recommends coordinated interventions: harmonized permitting, accelerated infrastructure investment, inflation-proof financing, and domestic supply chain strengthening. These strategies aim to reverse negative feedback loops and re-enable sustainable growth, securing the North Sea’s role in Europe’s renewable energy future.

The Dutch energy system is rapidly transforming due to electrification, decentralization, and renewable integration, causing widespread grid congestion. While grid reinforcement is slow and costly, Multi-Carrier Energy Hubs (MCEHs) are increasingly promoted as flexible, localized alternatives. These hubs, situated on industrial estates, coordinate electricity, heat, and potentially hydrogen to reduce reliance on transmission infrastructure. However, current evaluation methods of MCEHs are focused on short term feasibility and stakeholder-driven, often ignoring long-term societal impacts.
This research introduces the concept of structural societal value—the enduring economic, environmental, and social benefits of an energy hub beyond short-term congestion relief. Using a societal cost-benefit approach (MKBA) integrated with expert interviews and a custom-built energy flow model, the study evaluates MCEHs not only against grid reinforcement but also in terms of broader system outcomes. A case study of the Tholen industrial estate illustrates this approach in practice.
Results show that MCEHs offer temporary relief when congestion costs are high and reinforcements delayed. However, their structural value depends on local load profiles, flexibility needs, and renewable integration potential. By evaluating MCEHs through a consistent, criteria-based framework, decision-makers can determine whether a hub should remain temporary or evolve into a long-term solution. The findings stress the need for transparent trade-offs between hubs and traditional infrastructure, supporting more informed, adaptive energy planning.

This study investigates the design of a hydrogen transport infrastructure connecting North Africa and Europe, with a focus on balancing economic cost-efficiency and system robustness, taking into account potential geopolitical instability. Given the increasing relevance of green hydrogen in the European energy transition, the study addresses the need for a methodologically sound approach to evaluate large-scale infrastructure under geopolitical constraints. A novel combination of network reduction techniques—including Steiner-based pruning and Girvan–Newman clustering—was developed to make extensive pipeline datasets compatible with the Optimal Network Layout Tool (ONLT), enabling the computation of near-optimal pipeline layouts. The model incorporates an improved cost function that distinguishes between new pipeline construction, repurposing, and reinforcement. Using this setup, multiple geopolitical and infrastructural scenarios were simulated to test network performance under stress. Results show that while a tree-based infrastructure provides cost minimization, it introduces structural vulnerability in the face of supply shocks or sabotage. Redundancy through selective reinforcements and routing diversification enhances resilience at a modest cost. The study offers a methodological framework and policy-relevant insights for planning hydrogen infrastructure that is both economically viable and geopolitically robust.

The increasingly integrated renewable energy sources have a strong intermittency in electricity supply, resulting in increasing mismatches between electricity supply and demand. This has led to an increase in imbalances in the electricity grid, heightening the need for regulating power, such as flexible assets. Currently, the balancing markets are experiencing a high volatility in system imbalance and imbalance prices, resulting in market and system instability.

Previous studies have largely focused on how renewable energy sources lead to an increase in system imbalance and have stressed the need for flexible assets. Furthermore, several studies show that flexible assets can make significant profits in today's balancing markets by optimising their implicit balancing strategy. However, little attention has been devoted to the price incentives provided by the different pricing designs in the EU and how their remuneration structure affects the implicit balancing behaviour of flexible assets. As flexible assets are increasingly deployed on the balancing market, any strategic or gaming behaviour might have a significant negative impact on grid stability and system costs. Therefore, this research aims to answer the following research question:

What implicit balancing behaviour do flexible assets show in different imbalance settlement designs and what balancing market design recommendations can be provided based on this?

This research question is explored using mainly a quantitative approach. First, a literature review on European balancing markets is provided, explaining how the EU Balancing Guideline forms a framework for the balancing markets in EU. Furthermore, the balancing markets in the Netherlands and Belgium, which serve as case studies in the modelling, are explored in detail. Then, two linear optimisation models are developed to simulate the balancing markets of both countries and to show how the price incentives provided by the markets influence the behaviour of a flexible asset that aims to optimise its profit. Additionally, the impact of the asset's implicit balancing, following three different strategies, on imbalance prices and the asset's own profit is examined. A comparison is made between the results under the two different pricing designs, showing how different design choices affect the opportunities for strategic behaviour and potential market exploitation. The main insights obtained can be summarised as follows:

- A flexible asset can, under certain circumstances, exploit the market with gaming behaviour, in which it intentionally amplifies the imbalance price and thereby enlarges its own profit.
- Marginal pricing, provides a larger opportunity window for strategic and gaming behaviour compared to the averaging of marginal prices. Establishing the imbalance price based on the average of all marginal prices during an ISP can mitigate the asset's effect on the imbalance price, but can eventually not prevent extreme imbalance prices either.
- There are advantages and disadvantages to both single and dual pricing. Single pricing provides a more stable pricing system, but is limited in discouraging overreactive implicit balancing. The dual pricing design discourages overreactive balancing stronger, but this can lead to great losses for BRPs, increasing their financial risks, and can decrease market stability.
- The volume of the system imbalance plays an important role; in ISP with lower system imbalances, flexible assets can only increase the imbalance price to a very limited extend, before a market saturation point is reached where all system imbalance is balanced implicitly. With higher system imbalances, flexible assets can push the imbalance price to much higher, or even extreme values.

As balancing markets evolve with increasing volatility in system imbalances and higher volumes of flexible assets, transaction costs are expected to rise due to higher levels of market participation, growing complexity in forecasting, and potential market saturation effects in quarter-hours with lower system imbalances. These expectations for future conditions emphasise the need for pricing designs that ensure grid stability and market efficiency. Therefore, this research provides several recommendations:


- TSOs should consider re-evaluating the overall pricing design for FRR and imbalance. These two pricing designs are highly interconnected, as imbalance prices should reflect the costs made for FRR. Marginal pricing has both advantages and disadvantages, as it can reduce strategic bidding for FRR, but can reward gaming behaviour in implicit balancing, leading to market instability. A different pricing design might provide a more stable market, where strategic implicit balancing is discouraged.
- The choice between single and dual pricing needs to be carefully considered. Based on this research's findings, single pricing leads to less risks for BRPs and contributes to market stability. However, additional research into the decision-making process of flexible assets under the risks present in both pricing designs is needed to be able to make a stronger recommendation.
- Adjusting other market design variables could help reduce volatility, such as loosening FRR qualification requirements to encourage flexible assets to provide FRR instead of implicit balancing and reducing the ISP to five minutes. Yet, further research is needed to assess the full implications of adjusting these design choices.

The findings presented by this research contribute to current efforts to improve balancing market designs, by showing that both pricing designs have vulnerabilities that allow flexible assets to exploit the market under certain circumstances, which is inconsistent with the objectives of the balancing market. The discussed design choices and future research recommendations contribute to improving balancing markets, to regain grid stability and market efficiency.

However, there are some limitations to consider. The model contains significant simplifications, such as the aggregation of multiple flexible assets into a single asset, which does not fully capture the decision-making process of multiple individual actors with a flexible asset in the real world. Additionally, the assumption that the flexible asset has perfect information and foresight does not correspond to reality. Furthermore, the heuristic optimisation method used may not always produce the optimal strategy for the flexible asset. Based on these limitations, several suggestions for future research are made. For example, using a bi-level optimisation method might provide more refined results of the asset's strategic behaviour. Future research could also consider the wider context of the market, such as how imbalance pricing influences the decision-making processes of numerous BRPs acting simultaneously, without perfect or with limited market information. An analysis from a game-theoretic point of view, showing the interactions among various actors, might lead to more refined or different outcomes when the different pricing designs are compared.

DSOs are of vital importance for the resilience and adaptivity of the essential energy grids with continuously growing demand and consistently increasing complexity. Additionally, a substantial amount of energy technologies that are needed for the transition are still in the demonstration or prototype phase. The increasing pressure on DSOs to adapt to a plethora of fundamental challenges necessitates innovative frameworks to support sustainable development. This study set out to develop a new framework for guiding DSO innovation efforts with three key objectives: take into account the system context, provide tangible and actionable output and consider the regulatory environment. The framework was abductively constructed through a synthesis of five established innovation models and refined using expert interviews and case studies. The resulting diagnostic framework distinguishes three parallel levels for innovation: the project level, company level and ecosystem level. Each with their own respective more detailed factors. Another contribution of this research is the introduction of strategic alignment as a systemic factor in innovation in the literature. This research represents the first exploration of an innovation framework that holistically addresses the unique complexities and demands of DSOs, offering a foundation for further refinement and application.

The transition towards a decarbonised electricity system presents significant challenges for the Dutch electricity market, particularly regarding the integration of renewable energy sources and the mitigation of grid congestion. Flexibility is increasingly recognised as a crucial tool for optimising grid utilisation, reducing reliance on infrastructure expansion, and enabling the integration of new energy users. However, despite its technical feasibility, the adoption of flexibility measures remains limited due to a combination of regulatory, market, and behavioural barriers.

This study examines the factors influencing the decision-making of large electricity consumers in the Netherlands regarding the adoption and utilisation of flexibility options. Using Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) as a theoretical framework, the research identifies key barriers, including high transaction costs, regulatory uncertainty, contractual complexity, and economic disincentives. A qualitative methodology was applied, incorporating a literature review, policy analysis, and semi-structured interviews with industry experts.

The findings reveal that flexibility adoption is constrained by two primary challenges: some stakeholders are willing but unable to provide flexibility due to external constraints such as grid congestion and infrastructure limitations, while others are able but unwilling due to financial concerns, operational risks, and misaligned incentives. High transaction costs—resulting from information asymmetry, contractual uncertainties, and market inefficiencies—significantly hinder participation in flexibility markets.

To address these barriers, this research proposes a series of policy and market interventions. These include expanding knowledge and awareness initiatives, improving regulatory frameworks to incentivise flexibility, strengthening the role of system operators, and reforming financial incentives to reduce transaction costs. By aligning policy objectives with market needs, the Dutch electricity system can move towards a more flexible, efficient, and resilient grid, supporting the energy transition while ensuring system stability and economic viability for its users

Dutch ports face significant environmental challenges due to high greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from berthed ships engaged in essential operations. Entities like the Port of Rotterdam and research institutes produced emission inventories to gain insight into ports' environmental impact. 

However, existing emission inventories rely on fixed factors and overlook berthing duration and activities: they assume the same emission factors regardless of the operations performed by vessels. Thus hindering effective emission reduction strategies and infrastructure development. 

Consequently, the following research studies areas of improvement for the current emission calculation methods by including berthing time patterns. Then, it will apply this information to the Port of Rotterdam to test the new methodology.

The principal result that emerged from this work is that reality is far more complex than the most widely used models to represent it; luckily, the available data can still grasp this complexity. First, not all berthing events are equal, and the rarest ones still hold a considerable impact on the total berthing time. Additionally, the differences do not exist only as a matter of frequency and duration but also imply different energy requirements, as suggested by the interviewed parties. Consequently, a model based on a standard stop only reliably captures part of the behaviour of moored ships. Second, there is no universal relationship between standard industry size classes and time spent in port. Some ship types show a positive linear behaviour (the larger the ship, the longer the visit berthing time), while others show more complex relationships. Moreover, some fleet types belong to only a few classes; therefore, no size-related difference can be observed in the behaviour of berthed vessels. These considerations apply to metrics of volume (GT), maximum transportable weight (DWT), and also cargo capacity (TEU). Consequently, the size classes commonly used in the industry - which reflect the physical limits of channels, ports, and other waterways - might be insufficient to portray the in-port behaviour of all the fleet types. Third, most ships berth at a single location during a port visit, proving that the duration of a port visit could be the only way to identify different types of berthing events. Finally, even the interviews suggested that the system is much more complex than captured by the currently used models. The division by fleet type might be an oversimplification as the product transported and the ship type considerably influence the behaviour in port and energy consumption.

These results contrast with the emission calculation methodologies commonly used in literature and policy documents, indicating a widespread risk of policy and investment failure because partial data and oversimplified models of reality might have driven policy and economic decisions. Thus, institutions may have enacted regulations with potentially inefficient economic, environmental, and social returns. Consequently, improving the system's knowledge is essential for informed decision-making and risk minimization. This research has shown that this objective is not only reachable but could be achievable without exponentially increasing the required data.

The Dutch electricity grid is facing significant pressure due to increased intermittent renewable energy generation, advancements in electrification and the rise of major electricity users. Transmission capacity has already reached its limit in several regions in the Netherlands. This leads to network congestion, which delays sustainable development in the energy sector and creates an unnecessary rise of electricity prices. Congestion problems exist in multiple EU countries. ACER has proposed the split of several electricity bidding zones in the EU as a solution to mitigate grid congestion. One of these proposed splits is the separation of the electricity bidding zone of the Netherlands into two bidding zones: a northern and a southern bidding zone. This split will separate the northern provinces of Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel from the other provinces in the Netherlands. Splitting large bidding zones into smaller zones could improve market efficiency by providing more accurate price signals. This will theoretically also lead to less congestion in the long term. While research has been conducted on the proposed split of the bidding zone split in Germany, research about a split in the Netherlands and its effects on the Dutch electricity market is lacking. Therefore, this thesis has investigated the following research question: "How will splitting the electricity bidding zone in the Netherlands impact commercial cross-border exchanges and electricity prices in the Day-Ahead market in the Netherlands and its neighboring countries, and what risks does this split cause for energy companies?

To answer this question, a literature review was performed on the bidding zone split of Germany and Austria in 2018, which shows similarities to the proposed Dutch bidding zone split. Furthermore, a model was created with Plexos optimization software to do a nodal analysis of the Netherlands before the split, as well as a scenario analysis of the Netherlands before and after the split. These analyses used a backcast of September 2022 until December 2022. Lastly, the risks for energy companies due to the split were identified. These are the key findings of the research:

1. The neighboring zones next to Germany and Austria suffered from unscheduled flows from Germany. These unscheduled flows form a problem for the Dutch electricity grid as well. The DE-AT split reduced these unscheduled flows but did not achieve all desired effects concerning congestion resolution because of the remaining internal congestion in the German electricity system. The same may be true for the Netherlands and its proposed split.
2. Austria experienced higher electricity prices post-split. Similar consequences are expected of the Netherlands, where the south of the Netherlands will experience higher electricity prices. The north of the Netherlands, which has a relatively low demand and high renewable capacity, will experience reduced prices.
3. The reduction of market liquidity in Austria after the split was only found in long-term contracts, and can be resolved by adapting the terms of these contracts.
4. Nodal prices in the Netherlands in the evaluated period resulted in a distribution of two price groups: high-priced nodes in the west and low-priced nodes in the east of the Netherlands. This difference in nodal prices can be explained by three reasons: the load density in the west, congestion patterns in the high-priced areas, and the geographical positions of fossil power plants.
5. The scenario analysis, which varied inter-zonal commercial transmission capacity between the new Dutch zones and its neighboring zones, found some interesting results. It was observed that an available transmission capacity of 30\% or below creates a significant price difference between the northern and southern NL zone, while above 50\% prices converged. In the scenarios with low available transmission capacity, the northern NL zones reached prices of 0€/MWh. The scenario that is the closest to the predicted after-split situation has price differences between the northern and southern zones. An experiment was executed to investigate the effect of the split on large electricity users, e.g. a large zinc factory with a capacity of 150 MW. In the investigated 4 months, the factory would pay 1.4M€ more for electricity in the southern zone than in the northern zone.
6. Due to the possible price differences in the NL zones, energy companies face risks. It is advised that the current state of their asset portfolio should be assessed based on the location of contracted or owned electricity supply and the location of consumers. By investing in new generation projects in the southern zone, energy generation companies can potentially increase their profits due to the increased electricity prices in the southern zone after the split.

Further research is needed to provide a more exact calculation of the new commercial transmission capacity between the new NL zones and to include the bidding zone split in Germany to capture the full extent of changes in the Dutch bidding zone split. Lastly, a congestion analysis before and after the split can show policymakers and grid operators if congestion has improved and whether a bidding zone split in the Netherlands is worth it.

Underground Pumped Hydro Storage is considered as power storage asset in Zeeland. Using Linny-R, a cost-driven model is made representing the power flows in the high-voltage grid of Zeeland. This model includes power production by nuclear power, fossil power generators, solar PV and windturbines, power demand from industrial companies, agriculture, mobility and dwellings, and the current market functioning using the day-ahead price and marginal costs. Modelling various scenarios, the impact of UPHS on the high-voltage grid is analysed, and discussed in a broader perspective of societal added value.

This thesis explores the development of energy transition personas to inform the development process of energy transition projects in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The research addresses the challenges of end user acceptance and participation in the transition away from natural gas consumption. By employing grounded theory, an inductive and flexible data collection and analysis methodology, 26 participants (both expert stakeholders and residents of Eindhoven) were interviewed. This methodology yielded three framings that form the context of the energy transition in Eindhoven. 1. The willingness and ability to take action in forming one's energy future is dependent on the time span that is perceived by this individual. 2. Most participants are not concerned with sustainable energy, in that they have minimal knowledge and interest in their energy sources, distribution systems, storage, etc. Most people are more interested in end-of-pipe solutions within their homes that lead to energy efficiency, lowering the energy bill, and changes in consumption behavior. 3. The energy transition is a social transition. The barriers and enablers for the progression of energy developments are mainly financial, communicational, and community-oriented. These theories are used to create the Energy Transition Persona framework, which is a methodology to represent a community's needs, behaviors, mindsets, and resources. This framework is applied in the empirical context of Eindhoven, which yielded six personas divided into age, housing status, and general attitude, ranging from young adults to elderly people and from homeowners to renters. All in all, this research provides insights into how to represent users' values, lifestyles, and preferences. The study gives direction to various academic and empirical research agendas, as well as guidelines on how to bring the Energy Transition Persona framework into practice to enhance customer journeys, participation strategies, and a better alignment between technologies and their users.

This master's thesis explores the role of policy innovation of policies, programs, and policy instruments within the domain of heat transition in the built environment in the Netherlands, focusing specifically on the role of municipalities in navigating this complex transition towards a natural gas-free future by 2050, as mandated by the National Climate Agreement (2019).

Introduction
The research starts by outlining the ambitious goal of the Dutch government to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by 2050, emphasizing the critical target of reducing natural gas usage in the built environment in the Netherlands. The introduction highlights the urgent need for innovative policy approaches to accelerate the heat transition, especially in light of geopolitical factors such as the crisis in Ukraine, which underscore the urgency of energy independence.

Theory
Starting with a literature review regarding the different conceptual defnitions of (policy) innovation and the framework provided by Schaffrin et al. (2015), the study delves into the concept of policy innovation, exploring its significance in the context of the heat transition in the built environment. The research identifies the multifaceted nature of innovation, encompassing the novelty of policies, their adoption, and eventual impact. The theoretical foundation emphasizes the importance of analyzing policy output to gauge the extent of innovation within municipalities' strategies for the heat transition.

Methodology
An exploratory study design using qualitative research methods is outlined, focusing on a case study analysis of Transition Vision Heat (TVH) documents from ten of the most populous municipalities in the Netherlands. The research adapts and modifies Schaffrin et al.'s (2015) framework to assess policy output and innovation to fit the context of the heat transition in the built environment in the Netherlands, employing Atlas.ti software for document analysis. The methodology section discusses the selection criteria, data collection, and analysis processes, highlighting the study's systematic approach to evaluating policy documents.

Results
The results section presents a detailed analysis of policy output across eight categories, revealing a spectrum of innovation levels among the analyzed municipalities. Amsterdam is noted for its high scores in integration, target groups, and alternative technologies, showcasing a proactive approach to the heat transition. Furthermore, TVHs were scored using the modified framework of Schaffrin et al (2015). This research identifies significant differences in policy integration, stakeholder involvement, and the specificity of alternative solutions across municipalities. Despite these differences, commonalities include a shared commitment to updating the TVH every five years and aiming for a gas-free environment by 2050.

Conclusion
The thesis concludes that while Dutch municipalities exhibit a range of innovative strategies in their approach to the heat transition, there is room for improvement, particularly in setting concrete targets and detailed implementation procedures. The study advocates for municipalities to take a more directive role in leading the heat transition, emphasizing the need for tailored and innovative solutions that reflect local contexts. The research suggests that a comprehensive, collaborative, and context-specific approach is essential for successfully navigating the complexities of the heat transition toward a sustainable, natural gas-free built environment in the Netherlands.

Discussion
The discussion emphasizes the scientific added value of adapting Schaffrin et al.'s (2015) framework to the context of the heat transition in the built environment, underlining the importance of scope on alternate technology solutions and the target groups involved. Limitations such as the subjective nature of measuring policy innovation and the representativeness of the sample size are acknowledged. The section also suggests the need for future research to include broader samples and expert validation to enhance the framework's reliability. Furthermore, the role of local initiatives and the inclusion of residents' opinions and viewpoints in TVHs are emphasized as crucial for developing tailored, context-specific policy solutions. The involvement of residents (e.g., in the form of communities) can contribute to a more appropriate approach that contributes to the advancement of the heat transition in the built environment in the Netherlands.

The absence of a liquid market for renewable hydrogen causes uncertainty in the revenue stream for early water electrolysis facilities in the Netherlands, and a highly volatile day-ahead market causes uncertainty in production costs.

The EU is promoting renewable hydrogen projects to engage in bilateral contracts to mitigate these uncertainties. Hydrogen Purchase Agreements (HPA) can be used to secure an offtaker and a price, reducing demand and price uncertainty. While a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) secures a renewable power supply and mitigates price uncertainty, the inherent volume uncertainty of renewable energy sources (RES) remains a significant challenge.

This challenge is exacerbated by the requirement of most offtakers to be supplied with a consistent baseload volume. The hydrogen producer is thus tasked with creating a consistent supply of hydrogen out of an intermittent supply of renewable power and takes on the volume risk of renewable power. It is not yet clear how this and other offtake requirements affect the production cost of hydrogen.

The main question of this thesis was: "How are the hydrogen production costs under a long-term hydrogen purchase agreement affected by the offtake volume, offtake profile, the availability of hydrogen storage, and the type and size of the RES portfolio?"

This thesis utilizes mathematical optimization to quantify the impact of these offtake requirements on the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH). The dispatch of the electrolyzer and the operation of the storage is the central decision in the model. Through a case study, the sensitivity of the LCOH with respect to the offtake volume, the size of the RES portfolio, and the size of the storage is determined.

The results show that the LCOH increases by 11–28% if a baseload profile is required and no hydrogen storage is available. Access to an optimal amount of hydrogen storage reduces the extra costs to 2–8%. To achieve the maximum benefit from hydrogen storage, the outflow capacity should be larger than the baseload volume so that the storage can accommodate the entire demand at times when power prices are high. Our results also show that with the current investment costs, the utilization factor plays a significant role in the final LCOH, with a utilization factor of 90% leading to the lowest overall LCOH, even though the average power price at this point is much higher than at lower utilization factors.

Future research could explore different project ownership structures for electrolyzer facilities and quantify the difference in costs. Alternatively, a complete risk analysis using Monte Carlo simulations could be performed. The addition of a more dynamic market model would also enhance the value of the analysis, as would the inclusion of more markets, such as intraday and balancing. Future studies could also assess the impact of linepack flexibility services in hydrogen pipelines on the need for storage.

This project aims to identify how to improve the inclusion of social values within the decision-making process of the city management department of the municipality of Rotterdam. The project was conducted in collaboration with the municipality and, specifically, their value wheel development team. The "value wheel" is a value-based decision-making tool, which aims for projects to be selected based on total value contributions instead of financial risks. The idea behind this model is that all values are considered on an equal basis within the decision-making process of asset management. The issue, however, is that the development team is still unable to quantify social impact, which makes that the value wheel model cannot consider social values at an equal rate as the other values of the value wheel.

Although the model is already being put into practice, social values still find no place within the decision-making process. The Rotterdam municipality currently does not have another established method to address social values, which makes that within the organisation, social values are often overlooked or misinterpreted. The literature indicates that various social impact measurement models exist. However, they all require a list of social value indicators designed for the context in which the models operate. This means for them to be used within the value wheel framework, social value considerations and indicators are required. Through participatory observations and interviews, officials of the municipality were asked to identify the social values present within the municipality. To include the value considerations of citizens, a text-mining model, which is trained to identify values, was applied to the complaint database of the municipality.

Next to the identification of social values did the project also explore possible barriers to the inclusion of a value-based framework within the municipality. Which is why the participatory sessions and the interviews were also used to identify the context in which the value wheel is intended to be implemented. To identify the issues of the value wheel framework itself, the sessions of the value development team were followed closely and a pilot case of the value wheel was attended.

Coding was applied on the collected dataset due to the various types of data collected. This resulted in the identification of eight main themes influencing the inclusion of social values within the decision-making process. These themes are: social values experienced by officials, social values experienced by the public, the value wheel, civil participation, trust, compartmentalisation, leadership within the municipality and standardisation. The thematic analyses of these themes indicate that there are both theoretical restrictions and practical issues that prevent the implementation of social values.

Moreover, by placing quantified social values within a model, officials are confronted with technical quantities instead of public desires. This causes the actual value considerations to get lost within the decision-making process. Issues with trust, participation, leadership, and compartmentalisation show that officials are already faced with a growing gap between the reality on the streets and the situation as officials perceive it in the office. Quantifying social values within a model only strengthens this gap, instead of ensuring that actual social value considerations are included.

The results of this project can help municipalities, but also other governmental bodies, to identify the restrictions that currently prevent social value considerations from being included in the decision-making process. With that information, steps can be taken to improve the inclusion and consideration of social values when new projects are developed.

The urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has placed significant pressure on municipalities to decarbonise the residential heating sector, a major contributor to energy consumption and emissions. Municipalities face the complex challenge of navigating numerous factors to implement sustainable heating solutions that are technically feasible, economically viable, environmentally friendly, and socially accepted. This thesis addresses this challenge by developing a multidimensional assessment framework and decision-making support tool that acts as a compass, guiding municipalities toward tailored, neighbourhood-specific heat transition strategies. The framework integrates spatial, technical, economic, environmental, social, and regulatory factors to assess and compare sustainable heating technologies at both household and neighbourhood levels.

The primary objective of this research is to determine how sustainable residential heating solutions can be assessed using a multidimensional framework to develop tailored, neighbourhood-specific heat transition strategies for both households and municipalities...

Introduction

As a result of the Paris Agreement, the Netherlands committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 49\% compared to 1990 levels. A significant challenge in achieving this goal lies in the heating sector, which is heavily dependent on natural gas and must transition to sustainable alternatives. However, uncertainties around the viability of sustainable heat technologies, unprofitable business cases and low public trust in existing institutions pose challenges to this transition. A promising development is the rise of local communities establishing self-organized sustainable heat initiatives, known as Thermal Energy Communities (TECs), which emphasize community control. However, after a strong increase in the number of TEC-led projects in 2018, the number of projects has stagnated in 2021 and 2022 and declined since early 2023. Several factors contribute to this decline, including knowledge gaps within TECs regarding their professionalization, inexperience in civil-public collaborations between TECs and municipalities, and a misalignment between the current institutional set-up in the Netherlands and the desire for local ownership of collective heat systems.

Research Objective and Question

To fully integrate TECs in the Dutch heat transition, four preconditions including \textit{knowledge}, \textit{support}, \textit{access to capital}, and \textit{a license to operate} are to be developed. This thesis focuses on the \textit{knowledge} and supports \textit{preconditions}, aiming to understand how TECs manage the value controversies inherent to local energy projects by initiating social learning to overcome them. To guide

"How have value controversies in the professionalisation of TECs with complete control and ownership in the Netherlands initiated social learning?"

Gaining a better understanding of this dynamic will contribute to the self-actualisation capacity of TECs, increasing the number that become operational and enabling further research into their development.

Research Approach and Methods

To guide the research a conceptual framework is constructed combining the Value Laden Institutional Analysis and Development (VLIAD) framework by Milchram et al. (2019) with Schram et al.'s (2024) value-based approach. The constructed conceptual model structures the analysis of the relation between value controversies and social learning while accounting for the context specificity inherent in energy projects. The research takes a qualitative comparative case study approach and starts with analyzing how exogenous variables influence decision-making processes, using document analysis of TEC reports and demographic data. Consequently, a taxonomy of values present in TEC projects is constructed and dynamics behind how value controversies triggering social learning are explored, drawing on media articles, community meetings, and surveys. The analysis uses Atlas.ti as an analysis tool. Finally, expert interviews were conducted to validate and refine findings across the cases.

Key Findings and Conclusion

The study found that value controversies initiate social learning by highlighting mismatches between TEC decision-making structures and community expectations, as well as governmental regulations.

Single-loop learning occurs when TECs address immediate issues without challenging underlying assumptions, often due to regulatory constraints. Double-loop learning arises from community engagement and a flexible attitude towards the existing institutional framework by the project group. This was emphasised by Warm Heeg's ongoing community communication and responsiveness. Projects like Energiek Nagele, with limited community involvement, miss out on social learning opportunities, due to insufficient community support.

In conclusion, TECs that remain flexible and prioritise community engagement over fast project development leverage the opportunities for double-loop learning presented through value controversies, enhancing their adaptability and develop organisational resilience.

Recommendations

This thesis finds that during the development of TECs, they should focus on remaining flexible during the early project stages, avoiding establishing rigid rules and regulations. Additionally, TECs should prioritise frequent communication with residents, emphasizing broader environmental benefits at the start of the project while gradually shifting towards more personal benefits as the project progresses. Further research should further investigate the relationships between energy poverty and social capital on the ability of TECs to adapt to encountered controversies. Additionally, further examining the impulses stemming from specific values of the population involved in the project, seems an interesting and important avenue as it impacts creating and maintaining support of the community which is identified as the most important factor for success in this thesis.

The purpose of this report is to investigate how Dutch thermal energy communities can successfully transition from grassroots initiatives to formal thermal energy organisations. The study explores the knowledge and values required by community boards to achieve this transformation, focussing on how they address internal knowledge gaps and collaborate with external stakeholders. Key areas of inquiry include the types of knowledge needed, how the board ensures community members understand the social, environmental, and economic impacts of thermal energy, and the role of partnerships in advancing these initiatives. The findings aim to provide insights that can support scalable implementations in the Netherlands and Europe.

The theoretical framework of this report is based on the 3C model, which builds on Amartya Sen’s capability approach. This model emphasises three key capabilities: conscientiality, conciliation, and collaboration, which are necessary for the successful transition of thermal energy community initiatives into formal organisations. Conscientiousness involves raising critical awareness within communities about their energy needs and environmental impacts. Conciliation focusses on the building of consensus among stakeholders, while collaboration emphasises partnerships with ex- ternal actors, such as municipalities and energy companies, to access resources and expertise.
The research methodology combines a qualitative approach with thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key members of five energy cooperatives to gather insights into community dynamics, knowledge sharing and values. These interviews were supported by an anal- ysis of existing literature and two additional interviews. The data collected was analysed using a systematic coding process, grouped into themes aligned with the research questions and the the- oretical framework to identify patterns and insights related to the development of thermal energy communities. This methodology ensures both reliability and validity in capturing the challenges and successes of grassroots energy initiatives.

The key findings of the report highlight several important aspects of thermal energy initiatives in the Netherlands. First, these initiatives require diverse knowledge, including financial, technical, and organisational expertise, which can be sourced both locally and externally. Partnerships with pro- fessional entities are crucial to fill knowledge gaps, especially in the legal, technical, and financial areas. Community involvement is essential for the success of these initiatives. Trust and familiarity within the community are critical to convincing residents to adopt sustainable heating solutions, es- pecially when costs are comparable to traditional heating options. Personal interactions, such as one-on-one conversations, were found to be the most effective way of sharing information and gain- ing community trust. Collaboration with external stakeholders, especially local governments, is also vital. The success of these initiatives often hinges on their relationship with the local government, which is involved in the funding, approvals, and overall support of the project. However, challenges such as differing work paces and ownership questions can slowly progress. These insights provide a clear understanding of the dynamics and hurdles faced by thermal energy communities in the Netherlands.

The study found that knowledge and trust are critical factors in the success of thermal energy com- munities transitioning to formal organisations. Boards rely on a mix of local expertise and external consulting for specialised knowledge, with local involvement fostering trust among residents. Per- sonal involvement, such as door-to-door communication, is essential to gain support. In addition, collaboration with external partners, particularly local governments, plays a key role in the practical implementation of projects. Challenges such as ownership and the varied cooperation of municipali- ties have emerged as significant hurdles. The study suggests that the ability of the board to manage knowledge, build trust, and collaborate effectively determines the success of these initiatives.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is endowed with vast reserves of cobalt, a metal playing a very substantial role in the global energy transition. As the world shifts towards sustainable energy solutions, particularly through the electrification of transport, the demand for key minerals like cobalt and lithium is rising. This presents a unique opportunity for the DRC to elevate its position within the global battery value chain (GBVC). However, despite its rich mineral resources, the DRC’s current role remains limited primarily to raw material exports, leaving significant space for growth in high value-added activities.

This thesis explores the research question: “Can the DRC leverage its abundant cobalt resources to upgrade in the battery value chain?”. The study aims to bridge the knowledge gap by assessing the potential of the country to upgrade within the chain. This is done by identifying challenges that the DRC faces and exploring opportunities for upgrading within the value chain.

The research is structured around several sub-research questions that examine the global landscape and governance of the battery value chain, the DRC's current integration, and both the challenges and opportunities for future upgrading. The primary analytical tool employed is the Global Value Chain (GVC) framework, which provides a structured methodology to assess the complex network between the companies and the economic activities that are executed throughout the world. By applying this framework, the study identifies where value is created within the battery value chain and how the DRC can move towards higher-value activities.

In summary, the opportunity identified for the DRC is in the upstream sector of the battery value chain and more particularly in the refining stage. Nevertheless, the outcome is not encouraging for the DRC due to substantial barriers that the country must overcome. The country faces deficits in infrastructure, especially in energy and transportation systems, which rise operational expenditures. This in conjunction with the political instability has a negative implication on the attractiveness of the DRC as an investment environment, so country ‘s progress is hindered. Furthermore, the limited control that local institutions have over cobalt mines does not give the chance to the DRC to take strategic decisions that are beneficial for the development of country ‘s capabilities. In addition, transparency and human rights problems within the mining sector make investors more reluctant due to the need in the market for compliance with international ESG standards.

Substantial improvements in the DRC ‘s investment environment are necessary to strengthen country ‘s position in the global battery industry, so some recommendations for both government policies and corporate strategies are made. Local institutions should build more strategic collaborations with companies in other countries of African Union that have the capacity to support refining activities. At the same time, they must increase their awareness for international standards and start applying them in order to become more trusted partners globally. Policy recommendations from the government are also essential , including financial incentives for foreign investors and improvements in the judicial system. In this way, the DRC can create a more competitive environment in the refining segment of battery value chain and may have more chances for upgrading.

Research Objective & Methodology
The COVID-19 supply disruptions and the energy crisis triggered by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict emphasize the EU's structural supply dependencies and potential damages during crises. It underscores the critical risk factors, particularly Rare Earth Elements (REEs), which are highly susceptible to supply disturbances due to their increasing demand, limited supply, and reliance on a few suppliers, notably China. REEs are contrary to their name quite abundant, however, their extraction and processing are environmentally intensive, complex, and expensive. These REEs are utilized in numerous applications, including applications used in the energy transition because they exist in the Neodymium-Iron-Boron permanent magnets (Nd-Fe-B PMs). These magnets are used in wind turbine generators and traction motors of EVs. In these technologies, magnets are necessary to convert electricity into kinetic energy in EVs and vice versa for wind turbines.

This thesis focused on understanding how the EU can bolster its autonomy regarding its access to REEs, counterbalance supply risks, examine existing strategies, evaluate their effectiveness, and identify additional institutional interventions to strengthen the EU's position. This led to the following main research question:

How can the European Union improve its autonomy regarding its access to rare earth elements to achieve material security in the context of the European Union's energy transition?

The qualitative approach was chosen as the most suitable design approach to answering this main research question. It enabled a nuanced understanding of the EU's REE dependency issue by considering multiple dimensions and facilitated the development of well-informed and contextually grounded institutional interventions. The findings are triangulated between a literature review, desk research, and semi-structured depth-interviews with seven experts in this field.

This study performed REE value chains, actors, institutions, and PESTEL factor analyses. These four analyses offered a multifaceted insight into the complexities and interactions within this domain. Moreover, the illumination of various perspectives enhanced the overall comprehensiveness and facilitated a more holistic view of the EU's quest for enhanced REE autonomy.

Findings
Regarding the global REE value chain, China's unparalleled dominance, facilitated by generous lines of credits and subsidies, strategic partnerships and initiatives, geopolitical influence, manufacturing capabilities, technology, infrastructure, low labor cost, and lax environmental regulations, presents significant challenges. China's extensive control, especially in REE processing and Nd-Fe-B PM manufacturing, underscores the complex global dependence on China’s REE industry. The critical issues identified include a single third country supply dependency, rising demand for Nd-Fe-B PMs, challenges in recycling and circularity, high cost, stringent environmental regulations, and the need for skilled labor. These concerns, especially during the processing stage, underscore the complex barriers to achieving a resilient REE supply chain.

Globally, the REE landscape is predominantly shaped by China and the US. China maintains its pre-eminence through strategic initiatives, while the US is actively trying to close the gap. Acknowledging the imperative of strategic autonomy, the EU has instituted ambitious regulations, exemplified by the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and the Net-Zero Industry Act. These regulations established industry benchmarks for domestic extraction, processing, and recycling. However, the effectiveness of the CRMA in ensuring robust REE supply security is questionable.
 
The legislation lacks clarity on achieving and implementing industry benchmarks, presenting significant challenges in compliance, environmental and societal impacts, navigating shortened lead times for permitting, and addressing hurdles in private investment and fiscal alignment.

Institutional Interventions
This research identified enabling and constraining factors for the EU's autonomy regarding REE. Whereafter institutional interventions were created to cope with these issues. To achieve enhanced autonomy regarding REE access, five main strategies and several interventions are suggested. Conclusively, it is vital to note that the approach here is not a binary choice between strategies; rather, it necessitates the integration of a synergistic blend of the five proposed strategies.

Firstly, ‘Supply Diversification’ addresses the introduction of incentives for private demand for diversification, and the enhancement of strategic partnerships with REE-rich, EU-friendly countries.

Secondly, ‘Domestic Supply’ discusses: regulations incentivizing internal capacity; levelling the playing field; including Nd-Fe-B PM domestic manufacturing benchmarks; raising public acceptance; expanding funding; standardizing long-term contracts; and introducing low-energy zones.

Thirdly, ‘Circularity’ Encourages Nd-Fe-B PM demand reduction; incentivizes EoL practices; establishes CRMA PM labeling requirements; sets Nd-Fe-B PM collection targets; provides incentive structures; standardizes circularity by design; introduces extended producer responsibility; expands support programs; and impose an export ban on EoL Nd-Fe-B PMs.

Fourthly, ‘Substitutes for Nd-Fe-B PMs’ proposes: an increase in funding for R&D and innovation; and incentivizes substitutes for EV and wind turbine applications.

Fifthly, ‘Strategic Stockpiling’: addresses deficiencies in communication, transparency, and clarity by investigating obligation possibilities for Member States to monitor and strategically stock Nd-Fe-B PMs

Furthermore, the European Commission is instructed to consider introducing sub-benchmarks per individual CRM, improving understanding within governmental entities, increasing overall investment, and acknowledging the criticality for the EU to extend its policy horizon beyond 2030, given the long-term impacts of most proposed options. Moreover, EU policy alignment between Member States is critical, especially for creating an EU-level playing field for internal capacity and circularity. Enhancing autonomy in the realm of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) poses significant challenges, yet this thesis equips policymakers with essential findings and tools to navigate and improve access to REEs.

The energy transition involves a complex societal transformation encompassing changes in production, distribution, consumption, and behaviour. It necessitates collaboration among private and public stakeholders as well as the adoption of technical and non-technical innovations to combat climate change. While new technologies are being developed, progress towards a low-carbon energy system is slow due to technological, economic, and political barriers. The energy transition affects all systems interconnected with energy, such as transportation, housing, and spatial planning. Stakeholder involvement is crucial to connect these systems in policy but coordination and consensus are lacking, leading to paralysis and a lack of progress. Existing literature, focusing on innovation and technological barriers, lacks a comprehensive systems perspective. Traditional frameworks for change and transition in such complex systems often assume a rational and manageable system, overlooking the interconnectedness and interdependence of individual elements and their influence on the overall system, as well as the thorough interconnection with the political domain. They are built on the assumption that there is a (sub)system subject to transition and there is consensus on what the goal is. In the energy transition, neither is often the case and thus these traditional approaches to governing transitions have resulted in incoherent policy. This thesis utilises an abductive approach to identify design principles for transitions and their overarching themes to guide the energy transition. This method is exploratory in nature and uses empirical data in the form of case studies to develop new theoretical insights.

Over the last 30 years, different technical and governmental developments have taken place in the Dutch hazardous materials pipeline infrastructure. These have changed the utilization and governance of the system, with the transport of natural gas being one of the most important during this timeframe. Due to the danger of the transported material, the integrity of the system is crucial for its operation and performance. But with trends like liberalization, aging, and the energy transition, it raises the question whether this integrity is maintained. Also with many researchers analyzing either technical or governmental development, the combination has not yet been studied. The following main research question was formulated: What insights do we take when reflecting on the influence of technical and institutional developments on the integrity of the natural gas system in the Netherlands?
With the combination of desk research, interviews, and content analysis, the alignment between the technical and the governmental developments will be analyzed with the alignment perspective of Künneke, Groenewegen & Mènard. This information is then used to see if possible misalignments correspond to integrity perspective changes and issues of the infrastructure. Resulting eventually in insights into possible institutional or regulation deviations from what the system needed at that point in time.