A builder, rather thanamaintainer

In the o shore industry, a lot of attention is paid to technical innovations and production improvements. However, the human factor cannot be overlooked as o shore projects highly depend on people’s hands, skills, and knowledge, too. In O shore Industry Insights, we introduce individuals that made their bones in this market.

DMEC acts as an accelerator for marine energy solutions. By advancing innovation, mobilising capital and shaping policies, the organisation creates multipurpose energy solutions for a wide variety of markets. Britta Scha meister has been CEO of DMEC since its establishment in 2017.

Ms Scha meister, you joined DMEC in 2017. An organisation that is aiming at innovation in marine energy. It looks like innovation has been a key word in your career so far?

Ms Scha meister: “Yes. I have always been passionate about innovation. And water, more specific, seas and oceans, have always caught my attention too, which is why I graduated at the Groningen University with a master in marine biology. After graduating I started to work for an SMEs size commercial organisation. My idea was to work there for a few years and then to get back to university for my PhD. However, this never occurred, because I decided to travel for a few years instead. In my first profession I learned a lot about what the private sector can mean for science. This created my a ection for public private partnerships, especially with respect to innovation. After I returned from travelling this influenced the steps I made. In 2010 I joined PWC. As Senior Manager Innovation and Development I joined the innovation department focussing on the initiation and implementation of innovation driven public private partnerships. One of the things we did was to assist in strategic development, project initiation, and proposal writing for European grant programs such as Horizon 2020, ERDF and Interreg.”

How, from assisting with granting procedures at PWC, did you end up in marine energy?

Ms Scha meister: “In 2016, together with four partners I founded nextco, a cooperative of consultants with the ambition to increase the impact of innovation in shaping our future. I stayed for about five years. Meanwhile, I was asked to become Director of the Tidal Testing Center. In 2017 I accepted this role. One of my first actions was to implement a new business model and change the name to Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC) showing that the organisation was much more than just a testing centre focusing on tidal energy.”

Can you tell us something about DMEC?

Ms Scha meister: “DMEC promotes marine energy in all its forms. Using our international network, we assist marine energy projects in for example, financing, improving technology, and setting up a solid business case. We act as mouthpiece for the marine energy industry towards the Dutch government, the European Commission, and to international energy organisations such as Ocean Energy Systems (OES) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).”

Do you think that marine energy will develop in the same way as o shore wind?

Ms Scha meister: “No, I don’t think so. Instead of generating large amounts of electricity o shore, kilometres away from the end users, marine energy production will take place as close as possible to the user and only on a scale that will meet the user’s demand. As smart o -grid solutions marine energy power plants can be deployed to decarbonise o shore infrastructures, such as aqua culture farms, and oil & gas assets. Also, it can enable islands and remote areas to become independent of fossil fuels. Within our Corporate Partnership Program, we enable companies to integrate marine energy in their business strategy, ranging from decarbonising their operations to implementing multi-source o shore renewable energy hubs and partnering in the development of promising innovations.”

How do you look at the current energy transition and the decisions made for this?

Ms Scha meister: “What we see today, is that the energy transition is forced to go faster and faster. The government tends to neglect that this requires a large amount of space, people, and material, which are all scarce. It is important to include a wide variety of solutions and not, for example, only aim for o shore wind. In the energy transition we should look for the best, most e cient, and safe combination of energy sources that is also good for the near environment. One of the advantages of marine energy is that there are multiple applications that can be combined with other renewables to optimise energy production while making e cient use of the available space and resources. When looking at the energy transition, we should also not only look at the power supply. Balancing supply and demand in the right way is one of the biggest challenges. In my opinion, apart from saving on energy, locally generated power in which supply and demand are directly connected, is a good solution to ensure energy security in a sustainable way. The local environmental conditions and the end-user demand should always be the starting point for choosing the best combination of renewable energy sources to exploit.”

In the past few years a lot has changed in the o shore industry. What in your opinion has been most remarkable?

Ms Scha meister: “It is good to notice that government and companies are starting to work more closely together. Also, the energy and o shore industry are moving from a conservative to an innovative sector. When looking at the role of DMEC, we have changed from an organisation working mainly for start-up SMEs to one that collaborates with a wide variety of large enterprises and governmental organisations. Marine energy is really something that fits the Netherlands, and many organisations embrace this development. More and more corporates and investors are looking for new markets to invest in, and they are actively engaging with marine energy projects and initiatives.”

When looking back at the past six years, what makes you proud?

Ms Scha meister: “I am proud of our team that consists of very passionate and skilled people with various capabilities and backgrounds. I am also proud of the contribution we made to the acceptance and further development of marine energy over the past six years, not only in the Netherlands, but also on an international level by extensive collaboration with research institutes, companies, and governments across the globe. Our aim was to help marine energy developers. We managed to support them not only with our expertise and network, but also practically by mobilising public and private funds resulting in the implementation of a broad range of marine energy demonstrators.”

There are various types of marine energy. Which one will win in the end?

Ms Scha meister: “Currently, there are already some tidal energy projects in their pre-commercial phase, so it can be expected that this type of marine energy will take the lead. However, each type of marine energy production has its own benefits, specific applications and end-users that will be able to accelerate the development. So, in the end I think that there will be various kinds of marine energy power types going into production in the next years. Main requirement is that we realise multiple large-scale projects on an international level to show the opportunities of marine energy in real circumstances.”

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A few weeks after this interview Britta Scha meister tells the editor that she will be leaving DMEC per 1 April, so before publication of the article. “In the past six years”, she says, “I have built and shaped DMEC with great pleasure. DMEC is now an internationally respected accelerator for marine energy with an excellent team to further consolidate and expand its position. Being a builder rather than a maintainer, it is time for me to aim for initiating and realising new initiatives that will contribute to a sustainable and greener future.”

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