Symposium: From Underground to Mainstream: leveraging the subsurface for a successful energy transition
| When: | We 09-04-2025 10:30 - 17:00 |
| Where: | House of Connections, Grote Markt 21, Groningen |
As we progress towards a sustainable future, novel subsurface technologies - such as geothermal energy, hydrogen, and carbon storage – could become key in the energy transition. Harnessing this potential, however, is more than just a technical challenge. Especially in The Netherlands, the legacy of Groningen gas extraction has shaped public perceptions, and relevant legislation and policy with it - which continue to evolve.
With an upcoming revision of the Dutch mining law, the role of the public in decision-making is expected to expand, in turn redefining the roles of scientific experts, governments, operators, and watchdog organisations. Recent and ongoing geopolitical developments, moreover, put all of these matters in an even more complex perspective.
Therefore, this symposium brings together policy makers, public (research) organisations, and academics from various disciplines - including geology, governance, psychology, and more. By fostering transdisciplinary collaboration, we examine the complexities of large-scale subsurface use, in the hopes of addressing them in ways that balance energy needs with environmental and societal considerations.
Join us, as we connect science, policy, and practice to unlock the full potential of the subsurface for a just and sustainable energy future.
Programme
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10.30
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Walk-in with coffee
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11.00 – 12.45
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Speaker programme:
Johannes Miocic
Johannes is Assistant Professor Geoscience at the UG Faculty of Science and Engineering. His work focuses on the utilisation of the subsurface in sustainable energy systems, by means of geothermal energy, CO2 storage, and hydrogen storage. In his talk, Johannes will discuss the potential of subsurface use for the energy transition, as well as some of the key technical details involved. Correspondingly, he will shed light on the intricacies of geological research, and uncertainties associated with e.g. siting and risk assessment of seismicity and leakage.
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Justine Oomes
Justine is Team leader for Public Participation and Risk Policy in the energy transition for Energy Systems Strategy at the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (formerly Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate). In her talk, Justine will shed light on (developments in) the policymaking process around the energy transition and deep subsurface, and the manner in which public participation has evolved. She will touch upon the balancing of different concerns when it comes to various energy technics, and highlight some policy priorities that are crucial for the future energy system and the use of the subsurface. Accordingly, she will share her current vision on some of the above ground implications involved, including the role that Dutch citizens play in making these scenarios reality.
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Tessa Bosch & Marit Sprenkeling
As an Advisor at TNO-AGE (Advisory Group for Economic Affairs at the Dutch Geological Survey), Tessa focuses on the broader societal aspects involved in the development of subsurface applications, and works to make technical expertise accessible for the public. At TNO Vector, Marit conducts research and advises on the societal embeddedness of social and technological innovations, focusing on the energy transition in particular. Providing an integrated and holistic overview, Tessa and Marit will discuss the process that technologies generally go through, before being fully societally embedded. Outlining all phases from conceptual innovation to large-scale societal use, they will particularly highlight the cross-stakeholder and cross-disciplinary dependencies involved in moving between these phases - thus pinpointing potential (future) bottlenecks that timely collaboration might preventively address.
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Bas Ankoné
Bas is an Environmental and Political Psychologist, currently finishing his PhD in a joint project at the UG Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences and TNO-AGE. His work focuses on public perceptions of the use of the subsurface, and citizen participation in environmental governance. As an example of how academic research might be conducted in ways that contribute to challenges faced by societal stakeholders, Bas will shortly present his upcoming Dutch general sample survey on geothermal energy. In line with the symposium’s transdisciplinary philosophy, the floor will be open to input from the various perspectives in the room – where possible, to be included in the study.
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13.30
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Afternoon sessions:
In the afternoon, attendees have the option to attend one of several breakout sessions, aimed at facilitating cross-domain synergy. Amongst others, these sessions will revolve around sharing insights from different perspectives, exploring opportunities for collaboration, and laying the foundation for a programmatic approach to the wider challenges of using the subsurface in the energy transition.
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14.30
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Plenary recap:
After the sessions, we will collectively summarise the main implications of today’s sessions, and look ahead to future transdisciplinary cross-fertilisation.
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15.00
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Closing drinks
(with meeting rooms available for further discussions, until 17.00) |