The Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and the Renewable Energy Research Center (AIST) have signed a letter of intent to cooperate on research in a range of renewable energy-related technologies.
AIST has recently opened a new research facility in Koriyama, Fukushima, named the Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, to contribute with high level internationally oriented research into the reconstruction of the disaster-struck area of East Japan and to mark the transition to a sustainable energy supply that is of crucial importance to Japan.
AIST offers a broad palette of energy related research, including enabling technologies for interconnection of renewable in the electric grid, enabling technologies for energy storage with hydrogen carriers, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy and ground-source heat pumps. There is a considerable overlap in research areas with ECN’s mission and discussions on common interests have already taken place, specifically on the themes of wind energy and solar energy.
The agreement was signed at the Energy Event on October 30th, 2014 at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo, held at the occasion of the State Visit of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Her Majesty Queen Máxima and the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Mr. Henk Kamp.