Noordwijk energy analysis: Towards increased sustainability and energy circularity

This report focused on two main topics: short-term savings and long-term savings (potential of heat pumps). The energy research done during the past year has resulted in the identification of significant short-term savings potential and has shown that heat pumps have the potential to sustainably enhance the Noordwijk factory energy situation.
For short-term savings, a potential of 10% gas/CO2, 4% electricity, and 25-35% water reduction has been identified and reported. Of this, three proposals have been submitted and are currently being executed to achieve a 1.2% gas/CO2 reduction in 2023. A new project request (NPR) has been submitted to reuse hot water discharge as a feed for cleaning. Next, a change in project scope has been suggested for an ongoing project to potentially achieve a 20-25% reduction in yearly water consumption.
For the long-term, this report states that all major energy and water users have been identified. Most of the remaining missing users have been indicated in this report. The estimated steam users have been checked against both the average boiler usage of 4 months and a 2-week timespan of real-time boiler usage. The values estimated in this report agree with both. On the cooling side, it is suggested to further investigate the duties of the largest cooling users for accurate sizing of heat pumps and buffer tanks.
Next, the need for a real-time energy monitoring system has briefly been discussed and it was found that such a system can present several interesting opportunities for Noordwijk including real-time energy insight as well as the possibility of starting predictive maintenance. An investment is required to install both thermometers and flow meters, this investment has not been estimated.
Lastly, a possible heat pump system and a 3-step implementation scheme have been suggested. It was identified that a heat pump has the potential to enhance the current Noordwijk energy situation. Compared to the 2021 situation, a gas/CO2 reduction of over 60-70% is to be expected as well as an almost 50% reduction in water usage. However, an increase of over 25% in electricity consumption is to be expected. Overall, a 25-30% reduction in energy usage can be achieved. Still, some issues remain before a heat pump system can be fully implemented.
Overall, considerable opportunities exist for Noordwijk concerning sustainability. Heat pumps could certainly play an important part in this. Therefore, it is suggested to continue researching heat pump applications for Noordwijk in more detail. This should be combined with the continuation of actively pursuing and executing short-term savings.