Testimonials

How did you experience your study time at Utrecht University?
I really enjoyed my student days. I think the Energy Science programme is a very good combination of different types of subjects and projects. Energy Science students end up in the entire Dutch energy sector, so you can create a nice network for you working life during your studies. I strongly believe it is very important to do other things besides your studies. It does not matter whether it is work, hobby, sport, or association activities. The more you meet different types of people during your studies, the easier the transition to work will be.

How did the Energy Science programme help you in your current work?
Energy Science offers a very good basis. During the study, students are prepped to ultimately ensure the implementation of new technology in business. The cliché that you can make the link between technology and business within a company has definitely rang true. Ultimately, it is not so much about the subjects you are taught, but more about the academic way of thinking and analyzing. When you start your first job that way of thinking really helps you acquire the specific professional knowledge you need.

Why did you start working at SkyNRG after your studies?
I wrote my thesis on investments in sustainable fuels, with a focus on aviation. My thesis supervisor, Sierk de Jong, was working part-time at SkyNRG in addition to his work as a PhD candidate. I heard good stories about SkyNRG and I found aviation a very interesting sector. So after completing my thesis I was very excited to do an internship at SkyNRG. After that I never left. I strongly support the internship opportunities within the study programme. The fact that you can do a (less scientifically focused) internship that is of use to a company is very nice. It gives you the opportunity to really get to know a company and its activities.

What does your work at SkyNRG look like exactly?
I am a project lead within our Future Fuels team. The whole team works on approximately fifteen projects worldwide which focus on pre-commercial technologies. I am responsible for about five of these projects. They mostly focus around synthetic kerosene production routes, where CO2 is the raw material. In these project we work together with technology developers and our aim is to take these technologies to the next step in terms of commercialization. Which may mean that we start a pilot project together or that we carry out a study into the feasibility of a new factory. In addition to the project work, I also regularly attend conferences to meet new partners and show them what SkyNRG can contribute.

What makes your work fun and challenging?
At SkyNRG I work with a very talented team. We work hard, but company outings and drinks are an important part of the culture. It is very motivating to work in an industry that is currently in the spotlight and in which SkyNRG has built up a great track record over the past ten years. For me personally it is great fun to work on various projects with both large multinationals and start-ups. Since it is still a relatively new industry, you can make an impact quickly as an employee at SkyNRG.

Why do you work at Utrecht University and what do you do?
I’m an associate professor in the field of renewable energy. My particular focus is on the sustainability of bioenergy (for example bioethanol or biodiesel for the transport sector, biodiesel for the aviation sector or bioelectricity). The grand sustainability challenges we face today, require an interdisciplinary approach. Working for the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development of Utrecht University, which is one of the world leading institutes on this topic, enables me to do high quality sustainability research with experts of various disciplines. My work consists of both research and education. As a researcher I coordinate multiple international research projects on sustainability of bioenergy and supervise several PhD candidates and junior researchers in their research. As a teacher in the Energy Science master, I teach about current and future sustainability challenges related to the energy and resource system and equip students with multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills to deal with these complex problems in their future professions.

Why is Energy Science so important?
The fossil dominated energy system we have today cannot be sustained in the long run because of the exhaustion of fossil resources and the major contribution of the use of fossil fuels to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to meet stringent GHG emission reduction targets to limit global temperature rise to well below 2  ͦC (preferably 1.5  ͦC) above pre-industrial levels, as agreed in the Paris Agreement, we need a rapid transition towards a renewable energy system. This is highly complex due to interdependencies within the energy system and continues technological and societal developments. This requires a thorough understanding of energy technologies and the energy system as well as the societal and policy context. The interdisciplinary systems approach of Energy Science is key to enable this urgently needed energy transition.  

What kind of research do you (currently) focus on?
In my research I focus on the sustainability of bioenergy. In order to meet our targets of the Paris agreement, bioenergy is needed in a mix of several renewable energy options. However, there are many sustainability concerns related to the production and use of bioenergy. Most of these concerns (such as: competition with food production, deforestation, biodiversity loss, soil fertility loss, competition for water resources), are related to the production and use of biomass. These impacts highly depend on the type of biomass produced but also where and how these are produced (for example the impacts of sugar cane cultivation for ethanol production in the Amazon region in Brazil are very different from the impacts of sugar beet cultivation for ethanol in Groningen). For that reason, I assess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of bioenergy supply chains taking into account the specific characteristics of the supply chain as well as local biophysical and socio-economic conditions.

Can this research change our daily lives? If so, in what way?
I think it is more about being able to sustain our livelihood in the future. We face so many challenges: climate change, food security, increasing population, inequality, biodiversity loss etc. Only if we approach these challenges in an integrated way will we be able to tackle them, and be able to preserve our planet for future generations. By doing interdisciplinary scientific research on renewable energy we enable informed decision making by governments, industry and consumers on how to move towards a more sustainable society. Within Energy and resources we work on both global challenges (for example the global sustainable bioenergy potential) as well as local solutions (for example optimization of a local electricity grid with solar panels and charging electric vehicles).

What makes your job enjoyable/challenging?
I have a very interesting and challenging job. I find it important to contribute to a more sustainable world. Even though individual contribution may be limited I’m proud to be part of a community that strives for changes for the better. I very much enjoy the collaboration with so many different people, both within the academic world as outside such as government, industry and NGOs. I work with young students as well as old professors, with scientists of many different disciplines and backgrounds and from all over the world. I have learned so much from these collaborations. I have to travel regularly for field work, collaboration with research partners, and for international conferences and workshops. Although I try to minimize this as much as possible and try to do as much as possible by online meetings.