Dutch Solutions to power the Energy Transition
Smart, Secure, Reliable
Digitalisation is paramount to the success of energy transition
Digitalisation will transform the world’s energy systems by improving the energy efficiency, optimizing energy management and coordinating supply and demand in both centralized and decentralized sustainable networks.
$290 Billion
investment in Electricity Grids in 2021
40% of
investment in smart grids and digital solutions
300%
rise in investment needed by 2030 to meet Net Zero Emmision goals 2050
30-40B
connected devices by 2025
Digitalisation is key in enabling future-proof and more sustainable energy systems. However, it also carries risks which, while not unique to the energy sector, need to be assessed and managed: cybersecurity and privacy. Digital resilience, privacy and data ownership need to be integrated in a future-proof energy sector.
The Smart Grid image is provided by InfoSupport.
Digital energy meets cybersecurity
InnovationQuarter operates in the big transitions that the planet is facing, to build a future economy that is not only sustainable but also smart and secure. Incorporating safety in digital solutions that will power the energy transition is therefore paramount.
Relevant developments and trends
Innovation in digital solutions contributes to a more sustainable energy sector and higher efficiency. Smart grid technologies play an important role in the route to sustainable development. However, at the same time, these developments increase the vulnerability to cyber attacks and the amount of economic harm they can cause.
- In December 2015, hackers illegally breached the computer and control systems of a Ukrainian regional electricity distribution company and managed to disconnect substations, resulting in the loss of power for 225 000 customers. (Hunt & Hackett)
- June 2021, a cyber-attack on the Colonial Pipeline took down the largest fuel pipeline in the US and led to shortages across the East Coast. (Hunt & Hackett)
- A series of cyber attacks in March and April 2022 disrupted the operation of 7.800 windmills in Germany and the Netherlands for days. (techzine.nl) (vpngids.nl)
The state of play in the European market
The number of cyber attacks in the energy sector is rapidly increasing since 2019 (Hunt & Hackett).
- Cyber resilience is a business risk for all organizations, but it is of particular importance for the electricity ecosystem since an attack results in ecosystem-wide risks (Cyber Resilience in the Electricity Ecosystem, World Economic Forum, 2019).
A large-scale blackout would have socioeconomic ramifications for households, businesses and vital institutions.
- Penetration of the smart meter in Europe (Energies 2022)
- EV-charging infrastructure across Europe (autovistagroup.com)
- R&D and demonstration projects smart grid in Europe (European Commission, 2022)
- Renewable Energy sources as % of energy consumption (Eurostat, 2022)
A cyber attack on organizations in the energy could do serious harm, including lives and the environment.
- Both IT and OT are vulnerable to security risks. (DNV research, 2022)
The energy sector is one of the sectors with the highest spending on cyber security (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity report 2021).
The state of play in the Netherlands
- The Netherlands, functions as a hub for the global energy trade and has an important role in the distribution of energy on the European continent. Extensive networks of oil – and gas pipelines and electrical interconnections run beneath the famous fields of tulips. Next to that, Dutch ports (e.g. the Port of Rotterdam) also play an important role in the global energy trade.
- Dutch renewable energy sector is growing at a fast pace: the workforce grew with a factor 11 between 2011 and 2022 to 72.000 fulltime jobs in 2020.
- The Netherlands is the cradle for many technological innovations. Scoring 5th in general innovation drivers in the Global Cleantech Innovation Index, the Netherlands succeeds in producing a high-quality innovation ecosystem, and promotes a strong national entrepreneurial culture.
- R&D investments have led to fields in the renewable energy industry in which the Netherlands is a frontrunner, such as offshore wind, hydrogen and energy storage. Next to this, The Netherlands is a leader in electric vehicle (EV) deployment, EV charging infrastructure.
- Thanks to the high degree of digitalisation of the Dutch economy (NL scores #3 overall in Digital Economy and Society Index), digital innovations are easy to validate and implement in the Dutch energy sector .
The Rotterdam – The Hague startup ecosystem has produced numerous startups.
These companies offer digital solutions for the energy transition or secure assets against cyber threats. Check them out!
Want to learn more? Here are some informative reports:
- Artificial Intelligence accelerating Energy Transition in the Netherlands / InnovationQuarter
- WEF_Cyber_Resilience_in_the_Electricity_Ecosystem.pdf / World Economic Forum
- Strategic Intelligence about the Electricity Industry / World Economic Forum
- Making_The_Switch_vF.pdf / marshmclennan.com
- The blog series of Hunt and Hackett: Lights can go out: Espionage & disruption in the energy sector (1/5) / Hunt & Hackett
- Smart Grids – Analysis / IEA
- European Union Agency for Cybersecurity report 2021
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Anne de Vries
Senior Projectmanager Internationalisering Energie & Circulair
Martine Koole
Projectmanager Internationalisering Cybersecurity
