The mission statement for the BEST project is to “work out, for Belgium, the most economical electro- and synthetic energy carrier routes needed to face the climate change issues and ensure the stability of the grid and the security of supply in 2040 and beyond.”
To tackle this mission, we need to face the problem globally, from cradle to grave, without major assumptions that would flaw the conclusions. The practical objective is to provide to the government guidelines for the selection of liquid and gaseous energy carriers (called for simplicity “fuels” in this project), as one of the solutions in the energy toolbox for the transition to come. Therefore, we will provide a comprehensive view of the problem and divide our work to answer the following questions:
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How much liquid and gaseous energy carriers do we need to feed the Belgian energy system during and after the transition?
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How compatible are these carriers with our current energy system, including the grid? What is their impact?
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What are the most economic scenarios and storage needs (daily, monthly, seasonal) to implement these renewable fuels?
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What are the main uncertainties concerning the energy system, now and in the future, to be considered while optimising the system?
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How to convert these fuels back into final energy in the most efficient ways?
If you want to know more about BEST, visit the website of the project!