The Embassy of the Netherlands is organizing on the 14th of May a seminar entitled “Dutch solutions: Your Business Case for Energy Efficiency" for the Egyptian Dutch Business Club (EDBC) and the business community at large, as well as the Egyptian government and international donors. The seminar is taking place during ‘Huna Holanda' programme whereby cultural and business events showcase the different aspects of the Netherlands for Egyptians. H.E. Gerard Steeghs, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Egypt, and H.E. Ahmed Imam, Minister of Energy and Electricity will open the seminar. Keynote speakers from the private sector are Philips, DNV/KEMA and Al Ahram Beverages with presentations on energy efficiency models, best practices and solutions for offices and industry. The head of the Energy Efficiency Unit of the Information and Decision Support Center and the managing director of the Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulator Agency will elaborate on the government's policies and views on energy efficiency. The seminar will be moderated by Eng. Tarek Tawfik, Chairman of the Board of the EDBC and Managing Director of the Cairo Poultry Group. The EDBC is an informal network aimed at promoting trade relations between the two countries by creating a network of Dutch and Egyptian businessmen who have business relations with the Netherlands. The energy sector contributes substantially to Dutch national income, exports and employment. The government has therefore opted for a modern industry policy aimed at making better use of the economic opportunities for both green and grey energy. The Netherlands has embraced a courageous vision: by 2050, the country will have a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy system. The Dutch have extensive experience in the field of energy efficiency due to multi-annual voluntary agreements on energy efficiency between the Government and industry, making the Dutch industry one of the most energy efficient in the world. Innovation and public-private partnerships are key to the Dutch approach with the following priority topics: energy savings in industry and the built environment, gas, smart grids, wind at sea, solar energy and bio energy. The Netherlands is experimenting with energy from waves, algae and biomass and the Dutch have developed innovative solutions in decentralized energy production in greenhouses, CO2 ‘recycling' and waste heat utilization for their energy intensive horticulture industry. As a result, the proportion of installed decentralized capacity in the Netherlands is very high compared to other countries. In addition, the Dutch are investing heavily in Smart Grids, which facilitate developments such as electric vehicles. In fact, the city of Groningen has the first ‘live' smart grid community in Europe: Power Matching City. The development of sustainable energy technology is a top priority in the Netherlands. The Dutch technological industry is devising thousands of solutions and has an outstanding reputation worldwide when it comes to energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Dutch are recognized worldwide for their energy efficient systems in urban areas and are investing heavily in energy efficiency. The Netherlands has created partnerships all over the world and has successfully introduced Dutch energy concepts and inventions. The Netherlands is Egypt's 6th European trade and 3rd European investment partner and the 5th internationally.
