Campus The Hague will be the place to be on 20 November bringing together experts from The Netherlands and neighbouring countries to discuss project execution complexities.

Hosted by Shell and Siemens our upcoming ERC event THE BUMPY ROAD TO EXECUTION dives into the challenges behind bringing energy transition projects to life – from navigating regulatory hurdles and permitting delays to securing financing, managing raw‐material bottlenecks, and scaling operations.

Learn more about our plenary speakers and if you have not yet registered – don’t wait too long. Already 150+ members and non-members have signed up and the room is filling up.
 

Opening: Progress in energy transition

The event opens with remarks from Renske Ytsma, Managing Director at Siemens Energy Benelux and Frans Everts, CEO of Shell Netherlands. Renske a leader in renewable energy with over 15 years of experience across innovation, operations, and project development. At Siemens Energy, she drives integrated solutions in renewable generation and grid transmission to accelerate decarbonisation.

Frans Everts, joined Shell as a trader and held various commercial and strategic roles in the Netherlands, Italy, the UK, and the US. Formerly President of Shell Energy North America and Executive Vice President for global communications, he helped integrate BG Group into Shell. As CEO, Everts prioritizes making cleaner energy accessible across the Netherlands in collaboration with partners.

Dick van Dam, Climate and energy policy researcher and project manager, The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) follows by giving an update on progress in energy transition and emissions reduction – 10 years after “Paris.” Dick joined PBL five years ago and his long-term scenario studies and policy option studies are mainly focused on the industry sector and the annual Climate and Energy Outlook (KEV). Dick’s opening keynote sets the scene for three dynamic sessions with leading voices from across the sector.
 

Session 1: Beyond the Megawatt – Scaling Renewable Power & Storage 

Exploring operational projects, grid innovation, and market realities of delivering clean energy at scale

Marinus Tabak (RWE) is COO of RWE Generation SE and Country Chair for RWE Netherlands. He oversees assets spanning gas, hydropower, and batteries. He will bring deep operational expertise and share how large-scale storage projects are transforming grid flexibility and powering the next phase of renewables.

Aizo Wiebenga, Senior Industry Advisor for Energy and Sustainability at Microsoft understands how digital transformation and data centre demand are redefining the energy mix. With two decades at Microsoft, Aizo’s work bridges technology, sustainability, and innovation — showing how AI and cloud solutions are driving greener, smarter energy systems.

Pallas Agterberg, Corporate Challenge Officer, Alliander offers a visionary perspective on the evolving role of distribution system operators. With a background in organizational change and innovation, she leads Alliander’s efforts to future-proof energy networks while championing collaboration across research and policy platforms.

Prof. dr. Gulbahar Tezel is partner at PwC and Professor of Economics at Tilburg University. She advises on frameworks that enable markets to scale renewable infrastructure — from regulation to investment readiness.
 

Session 2: Hydrogen Projects Powering the Netherlands

Operational insights from electrolysers, pipelines, and industrial hubs

Roel Aretz, Asset Manager for Holland Hydrogen 1 at Shell Netherlands, leads the setup and safe operation of Shell’s first large-scale green hydrogen plant. With a strong background in gas asset management and organisational transformation, he shares key lessons from developing this pioneering facility driving the shift to large-scale renewable hydrogen production.

Hans Coenen, Executive Board member at Gasunie, is responsible for developing gas and renewable infrastructure across Europe. With expertise in engineering and financial economics, he explores how Gasunie is enabling a connected hydrogen economy—linking production, storage, and transport networks essential for scaling the energy transition across national and international markets.

Maria Kalogera, Project Manager at CrossWind, leads the joint venture’s innovation scope, focusing on integrating offshore wind with hydrogen production and storage. With engineering and sustainable energy expertise from TU Delft, she shares how emerging offshore technologies can enhance energy resilience and support a cleaner, more flexible renewable energy system.

Eric van Herel, Business Manager Energy Transition at Air Products, drives industrial CO₂ reduction through low-carbon and RFNBO hydrogen solutions. As chair of NLHydrogen’s “hydrogen availability” committee, he discusses how large-scale green hydrogen production meets growing industrial demand and accelerates decarbonisation across Europe’s energy-intensive sectors.
 

Session 3: First Movers, Lasting Impact – CCUS Deployment in Action

Navigating risk and reliability in CCUS deployment

Ove Dalland, Technical Director, Northern Lights, draws on over 25 years at TotalEnergies to lead Europe’s first commercial CO₂ transport and storage network. With expertise in engineering, shipping, and management, he will share insights on how Northern Lights is kick-starting large-scale CO₂ transport and storage to accelerate Europe’s low-carbon transition and de-risk early CCUS deployment.

Wim de Jong, Market & Strategy Advisor at Twence, is driving the company’s transformation from waste management to renewable energy and circular materials. A specialist in linking technology, policy, and markets, he will discuss CO₂ capture at Twence’s Waste-to-Energy plant—highlighting its role in negative emissions, sustainable building materials, and the broader bio-based economy.

Managing Director of Porthos System Operator, Marco Goense oversees the Netherlands’ first large-scale CO₂ transport and storage project. With a strong background at Chevron and EBN, he will detail Porthos’ road to first injection in the Dutch North Sea—addressing challenges in safety, reliability, and system readiness as Europe pioneers industrial-scale carbon storage.

Edwin de Vries is Director of Wagenborg Offshore and leads innovations in offshore logistics and sustainable maritime solutions. Renowned for advancing walk-to-work vessels and CO₂ carrier technology, he will explore innovations in direct offshore CO₂ injection—showcasing how maritime expertise can enable efficient, low-risk transport and storage within the CCUS value chain.