Working together on permits in the North Sea Canal Area
Laying a hydrogen pipeline is no simple matter, especially in an area as densely built-up and diverse as the North Sea Canal Area, where infrastructure, water, nature, industry and residential areas all intersect. Behind the scenes, intensive work has therefore been underway for years to ensure that construction proceeds carefully, safely and in accordance with all regulations. Zoë Heerema, permits adviser at Hynetwork, plays an important role in this process.
Zoë Heerema, permits adviser at Hynetwork
Bridging project and community
‘My work is about making connections’, Zoë says. ‘Especially between the project and the local community.’ In her role as permits adviser, she liaises with municipalities, water boards, provincial authorities and businesses along the route of the future hydrogen pipeline. ‘If the pipeline runs through their area, they need to be fully aware of what’s going to happen there. Keeping people informed is important, but it goes much further than that.’
In essence, permits are authorisations to carry out work. For a hydrogen pipeline, this involves various types of permits, such as planning permission for work on public land, crossings with flood defences or railway lines, and permits setting out agreements about work sites. ‘Think of the size and location of work sites, access routes for construction traffic and safety measures. Everything has to be right.’
A years-long process
Zoë began the permitting process for Hydrogen Network North Sea Canal Area just over two years ago. ‘You don’t just get a permit automatically; it takes a lot of discussions beforehand. We ensure that all the work is carried out in accordance with current laws and regulations, and that stakeholders’ interests are carefully taken into account.’
Permits do not only specify how the work will be carried out technically, but also how the surrounding area will be taken into account. ‘This can include considerations like keeping a road open or protecting endangered species. It’s always about the bigger picture.’
Bespoke solutions in a complex area
The biggest challenge, according to Zoë, lies in the differing requirements and preferences. ‘Every authority has its own frameworks for a given area. These differ from one another, overlap and sometimes even conflict.’
A concrete example: ‘One party prefers ploughing in the pipeline, because that extracts as little groundwater as possible. Another party would rather see us drill, because doing so disturbs the ground in fewer places. These are choices we have to research and weigh up carefully.’ The result is usually a bespoke solution. ‘That involves a lot of coordination and searching for solutions that everyone can agree on.’
From application to implementation
Over the past two years, we have collected and processed requirements, frameworks and bespoke agreements. A large proportion of the permit applications have now been submitted to the relevant authorities for approval.
‘Those applications are now being carefully reviewed’, Zoë explains. ‘If approved, a draft decision will follow for each applied-for permit. This specifies the work we will carry out, how we will do it, what we need to keep in mind, and when this will be done.’ These draft decisions, together with the draft project decision, will be made available for public review so everyone can officially comment on them. Once any comments have been addressed, the final permits will be granted.
Then a new phase begins. ‘Together with the contractor, we will also work on the implementation permits alongside the main permits. These focus on the work itself, such as traffic measures, site layout, safety, noise and scheduling.’
Proud of the collaboration
What does Zoë enjoy most about her work? ‘The conversations with all those different parties. I bring the design and the outside world together. The detailed technical design is in place, but we keep optimising it continuously by incorporating aspects of the permits.’
Looking back, she is proud of what has already been achieved. ‘We started building relationships early on. That has strengthened the collaboration with all the parties involved.’ More and more permits are being finalised, bringing the construction of the hydrogen network in the North Sea Canal Area closer, step by step. ‘For me, that’s what makes this work so rewarding: all those conversations and agreements ultimately show up in what gets built out there.’ This makes the construction of Hydrogen Network North Sea Canal Area more tangible, and it supports industry in taking the next step towards sustainability.
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