D2b.1 Introduction to risk governance and societal embeddedness

NB This deliverable is the first part of a larger report that will be finalized later in 2024. It will therefore be replaced by the complete deliverable in due time.

Risk governance plays a pivotal role in shaping the societal embeddedness
• Effective communication, stakeholder engagement and collaboration are
important cross cutting aspects in the risk governance process and help
navigating through the complexities of risk governance, enhancing the
successful integration of hydrogen technologies into society
• Open, transparent and inclusive communication in the process of risk
governance helps to foster long term trust in risk management and the parties
involved
• Engaging and collaborating with stakeholders during the risk governance
process can improve both the quality and outcome of the (risk related) decision
making process
• Taking collaboration and communication in risk governance a step further leads
to the concept of collaborative risk management ( 6 CRM refers to inter
organizational coordinating and joining efforts in risk governance process to
prevent or at least mitigate adverse consequences in case of incidents
• In the Netherlands both a main transport network as regional distribution grids
are developed to distribute hydrogen through pipelines, at first for industrial
use, and later on possibly for natural gas free districts, heavy transportation
and electricity production
• Hydrogen in the energy transition brings new situations and safety risks that
affect all sectors in the hydrogen domain T he necessary standards and
requirements regarding hydrogen safety are still under development
• The Minister of Climate and Energy states that physical safety and health risks
must be dealt with responsibly, decisive and connected
• Temporary safety guidelines (generic and supplementary for four pilots in the
built environment, RVO, 2022 for the safe handling of hydrogen allow hydrogen
projects to take place safely in situations where laws and regulations are currently
lacking or incomplete
• The emerging sector of hydrogen transport and distribution in the Netherlands
presents challenges that necessitate technical, legal and social innovation Robust
risk governance frameworks serve as critical enabler that cuts across these
innovations
• Communication, stakeholder engagement and collaboration in the governance of
technical risks in the sector of hydrogen transport and distribution via pipelines
can accelerate the societal embeddedness of hydrogen through (but not limited
to)
• Understanding public concerns and perspectives, informing stakeholders
and the public, helping to form an informed opinion and build trust in
stakeholders
• Communicating new measures and ways of working to regulators, end
users and service personnel
• Increasing resilience and react timely to risks and their potential
consequences
• Improving
the economics of a project by enabling effective decision
making and innovating more efficiently, reducing time and costs
• This study highlights the mechanisms of communication, stakeholder engagement
and collaboration within the risk governance process, specifically managing
technical risks for the sector of hydrogen transport and distribution in the
Netherlands We aim to learn how communication, stakeholder engagement and
collaboration can be improved and lead to a more cohesive way of working and
accelerate societal embeddedness in the sector of hydrogen distribution and
transport