D2b.1+2 Risk governance and societal embeddedness for hydrogen infrastructure

NB An English version of the literature review is available as version 1 of this record.

Communication and collaboration are essential cross cutting components for the entire risk governance process. Involving and collaborating with stakeholders during the risk governance process can improve the quality of the (risk-related) decision-making process. Effective stakeholder engagement is important for the success of the risk governance process, and open, transparent, and inclusive communication helps to foster trust in risk governance and the involved parties. A more extensive theoretical background of applied concepts can be found in appendix I. This report provides an inventory of the mechanisms of communication and collaboration within the risk governance process, specifically for managing technical risks in the hydrogen transport and distribution sector in the Netherlands, with the aim of learning how communication, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration can be improved. The results of the research were obtained through interviews with stakeholders in the sector and a document study, and are divided into five focus points:
(1) For good collaboration and (risk) communication, it is desirable to use common terms or at least be aware of each other’s terms and principles.
(2) It is important to make a joint, future-proof value assessment. Here, safety should be weighed against other relevant values as elaborated in the NPE (national energy system plan).
(3) For stable long-term collaboration, a clear and logical division of roles is essential. Since the hydrogen distribution sector through pipelines is not yet regulated under established policy, the roles that stakeholders assume are also not yet fixed.
(4) Knowledge development in the sector is still ongoing and not accessible to everyone. There is a need for an efficient and structured system for both bringing and acquiring knowledge.
(5) Interaction with other spatial developments requires more coordination. Developing multiple spatial projects, such as a hydrogen and electricity grid, requires coordination in communication between projects and towards residents. Although the five focus points for communication and collaboration in this report are tailored to hydrogen distribution and transport through pipelines, they cannot be seen in isolation from the broader context of the energy transition. To make the five focus points broadly applicable, they are linked in a reflection to the principles of “Responsible handling of safety and health in the energy transition.”

Dit project is medegefinancierd door TKI Nieuw Gas | Topsector Energie uit de PPS-toeslag
onder referentienummer TKI2023-HyDelta.