Latest news with #SophieHermans
Fashion Network
21-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Reju to open first textiles recycling unit in the Netherlands
After deploying a first synthetic textiles recycling demonstrator in Frankfurt in October 2024, French company Reju has announced it will open its first industrial unit at the Chemelot chemical park in Sittard-Geleen, the Netherlands. Reju is keen to use the unit to demonstrate it is possible to recycle textiles on a massive scale. Reju expects to eventually be able to recycle the equivalent of 300,000 items per year at its Regeneration Hub One plant at Chemelot. The plant will extract 50,000 tons of rBHET, a de-polymerized chemical intermediate derived from plastic elements. The intermediate will then be polymerized to become 'Reju Polyester', a fibre whose carbon impact is 50% lower than that of virgin polyester, and is expected to be marketed by 2028. 'By announcing the forthcoming site for Regeneration Hub One, we are reinforcing our commitment to transforming the textile industry through innovation and collaboration. Chemelot is the ideal environment for scaling our technology and becoming part of a broader network of industrial powerhouses which are also focused on circularity. This is where we will prove that textile-to-textile circularity at scale is achievable,' said Patrik Frisk, CEO of Reju. The plant's opening will be backed by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA). Sophie Hermans, the Netherlands's Minister for Climate Policy and Green Growth, hailed the 'sustainable, circular and future-oriented' project, which 'contributes to green growth and strengthens [the position of the Netherlands] in the field of circular chemicals.' To underline the project's importance, Reju noted that European textile consumption rose from 17 kg to 19 kg per person between 2019 and 2022. In the same period, 94 million tons of textiles were thrown away.
Reuters
16-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Dutch postpone offshore wind farm tenders due to low interest
AMSTERDAM, May 16 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will postpone tenders for two offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW) due to a lack of interest from potential bidders, the Dutch government said on Friday. The tenders had originally been planned for September. The government said it would now only open a tender for one location in the North Sea with a capacity of 1 GW then. The Dutch Climate ministry said in March that interest for the three sites it wanted to tender was very low, after energy firms Eneco and Orsted ( opens new tab had said they saw no viable business case without subsidies. The government said it was still looking into ways to reintroduce subsidies in its tenders for offshore wind farms, as prospective bidders are backing out of the current "zero subsidy" model. Climate minister Sophie Hermans said detailed plans for the future tenders would be presented by the third quarter, after having missed her earlier announced mid-April deadline. The Netherlands last year pushed back plans to increase offshore wind capacity from 4.7 GW to 21 GW to the end of 2032 instead of 2030, citing costs, supply chain difficulties and "challenges in timely decision-making".
Reuters
25-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Netherlands backs carbon storage project as Total, Shell step back
AMSTERDAM, April 25 - The Dutch government said on Friday it would commit 639 million euros ($726 million) to the construction of the country's largest carbon capture and storage project, after TotalEnergies ( opens new tab and Shell (SHEL.L), opens new tab withdrew part of their planned investments. The two oil majors have opted out of investing in the pipeline infrastructure necessary to connect industries to the storage sites in depleted gas fields under the North Sea. In a bid to keep the project and its own climate goals on track, the government decided to step in to minimise risks for the two remaining investors, government-owned energy company EBN and Dutch gas grid operator Gasunie. "This takes away a large part of the risk in the project," climate minister Sophie Hermans said. Shell and Total intend to remain involved in developing the storage sites and in offering storage and transport services to industrial clients, Gasunie said. Their decision to change course comes as many European energy majors have weakened their climate goals and renewable energy targets to regain competitiveness against U.S. rivals that have kept their focus on oil and gas. Shell and Total did not reply to requests for comment. The final investment decision on the so-called Aramis project is expected in 2026. The storage, with an annual capacity of 22 million tons, should be operational by 2030. That should help the Dutch government meet its own goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 55% in 2030, relative to 1990 levels. Emissions were 37% lower than in 1990 last year, but the government's main climate adviser has warned that the 2030 goal would be unreachable with current policies. As part of an extra push, the government said on Friday it would earmark 8 billion euros next year in subsidies for sustainable energy projects. It will also introduce new subsidies on electric cars. Industries, meanwhile, will be compensated for relatively high energy prices. ($1 = 0.8806 euros)
