Accenture | Transition Talk On site

In this episode we are tackling a pressing issue: the scarcity of critical materials in the renewable energy sector. We’ll delve into what these materials are, the challenges posed by their limited availability, and how companies can navigate this landscape to ensure a sustainable energy future. Joining Maria in the studio are Monique Kootker, a Manager in Sourcing and Vendor Management at Stedin, a Dutch energy network operator responsible for the distribution of electricity and gas in the Netherlands and our Adriana Begeer, Managing Director Energy and Sustainability at Accenture.

We kick off the new season in a renewed set-up. We have joined forces again with one of our previous hosts, Maria Punch. In the upcoming episodes you will hear Maria discuss different kinds of topics related to the Energy Transition. She will do this in collaboration with both an Accenture expert as well as an expert from the field. In the first episode of this season, we will dive into Circularity in the Renewables industry. For this topic we have invited Adriana Begeer, part of Accenture Leadership and Supply chain & Sustainabilty expert, and Maria Orbant, who is an expert on the topic of circularity and decarbonization. The episode will cover the importance of circularity in renewables,  the challenges we need to overcome and how we can actually measure circularity.

In previous episodes we dove into some specific topics contributing to the Energy Transition. For this season's finale, we decided to zoom out and take a closer look at some more global trends affecting the energy industry and we'll look at how the Netherlands is performing within this space.  For this episode, Lonneke Tabak (Energy Transition Services Lead, Accenture) invited one of our own Accenture colleagues, Pim Spierenburg to dive into the topic. Pim has been named Global Head of Net Zero Transitions as of September 2023 and can therefor provide us with some unique global insights.  Do you want to know more about the mentioned reports, click the links below to find the complete reports:  Destination net zero [https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/sustainability/reaching-net-zero-by-2050]focuses on the progress that the world’s largest 2,000 companies (G2000) by revenue are making toward their net-zero targets. It shows that just over one-third of these companies have full net-zero targets, and only 18% of those are on track to reach their targets. It also lays out the steps that individual businesses can take to accelerate their progress through combining up to 20 different actions.  Powered for change [https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/energy/industrial-decarbonization-imperatives] is focused on the decarbonization of industries and the opportunity for oil, gas, power, and other industries to work with heavy industry (chemicals, natural resources, freight/logistics)–the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases–to decarbonize. The key will be developing smart pricing strategies for green products and services; scaling low carbon power and hydrogen to lower production costs; optimizing costs and productivity of capital projects and operations.

With the world facing the daunting challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has emerged as a critical technology to mitigate the impact of carbon on our planet. This importance is underscored by the IPCC as they reveal that without CCS, we cannot reach the climate targets. The empty gas fields located in the North Sea have the potential to function as offshore CO2 storage locations. This geographical advantage offers the Netherlands a remarkable opportunity to play a pivotal role in the development and deployment of CCS technology. In this episode, Lonneke Tabak, Energy Transition Services Lead, invited Nico de Meester, Manager External Relations at Porthos. They will shed light on Porthos – the pioneering CCS initiative in the Netherlands that recently was given green light by the Dutch Council of State – and discuss the future outlook of CCS in Europe.

The ‘Fit for 55’ package has raised the decarbonisation ambition for Europe, and with that, the need for faster progress in decarbonizing end usage and the overall power system. The Decarbonization Speedways study, conducted by Eurelectric and Accenture, provides insight into applying the accelerated decarbonisation ambition.  In this episode, Lonneke Tabak (Energy Transition Services Lead, Accenture) and Michelangelo Aveta (Policy integration lead at Eurelectric) explore the massive necessary transformation to decarbonize the power sector, focusing on viable technologies like solar PV, wind, nuclear, and hydrogen. Flexibility is vital in a system with variable power sources, addressed through demand-side response and storage assets. Lastly, the required substantial investments in generation technologies, grid infrastructure, storage, and flexibility assets are highlighted. Join us as we uncover the speedways towards a decarbonized power sector and a sustainable future.