Keynote at conference ‘Relevant’ in Amsterdam
November 20th, Dirk Oudes gave a keynote on a conference for experts on ‘external safety’ in Amsterdam. This field is concerned with safety issues in the living environment, such as risks from transport and storage of dangerous fluids. The network of external safety professionals called ‘Relevant’ organize a yearly conference, each time with a different topic. The topic of this year was energy transition and 250 people attended, representing governments, commercial firms, universities and public facilities such as fire departments.
Dirk provided the kick-off with a presentation on energy landscapes by elaborating the National Perspective on Energy and Space, which explores a national scenario for renewable energy transition. His presentation was followed by two reflections from professionals, one on safety and one on legislation. In the afternoon several workshops were organized on different topics regarding energy transition and safety.
The transition to renewable energy has many consequences for safety in the living environment. Some fossil based functions such as gas transportation or oil storage will decrease or disappear, while other functions will emerge or become more dominant. Wind turbines or hydrogen storage, for example, pose certain hazards to the living environment. Especially in the Netherlands, where space above and below ground is limited, early collaboration between environmental designers and safety experts is critical.
