Kristof graduated as a Master of Business Engineering at the University of Antwerp in 2018 (major in Corporate Finance and Financial engineering). In his master thesis, he examined the profitability of a momentum strategy on various government bond markets. Kristof joined the team of Econopolis as a Business Analyst in September 2018, focusing on data management and the follow-up of the latest wealth management technologies. Since 2020 Kristof, became Senior Consultant within Econopolis Consulting, a strategic advisory services with a focus on climate and energy transition.
Key Insights from Nocturne Event on Market Opportunities in the Nordics for the Energy Transition
On Tuesday, December 10th, Ortelius attended the Nocturne co-hosted by Sirris and the Agoria Energy Technology Club, which focused on "Market Opportunities in the Nordics for the Energy Transition." The event provided a deep dive into energy transition opportunities in the Nordics and the Baltic Sea, specifically examining the emerging potential for supplying critical metals and minerals essential for renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, and battery storage.
Ortelius was not only present but was also invited to speak at this event. Yanaika Denoyelle discussed the results of a new Ortelius study on critical raw material shortages in the EU, a study that will be published soon on our website (Be the first to receive it by subscribing here: https://ortelius.be/critical-raw-materials/).
Key insights of the evening were:
- We will need a huge amount of critical raw materials to achieve the climate transition. EU demand for nickel, cobalt, and lithium combined is expected to triple by 2050.
- Recycling can only meet 12 to 25% of the critical minerals demand by 2040. While recycling remains a key solution, its contribution will only scale up after 2040 in the most optimistic forecasts.
- There must be sufficient attention to innovative technologies for sourcing critical raw materials. Consider mineral extraction from brine, which could reduce the cost of drinking water production and lower the environmental impact of brine disposal. The role of seabed mining was also discussed, with Belgium playing a pioneering role in this field.
- We need to look beyond sourcing strategies and recycling as well. The use of alternative technologies that require fewer critical raw materials could significantly reduce demand for these minerals. For example, thermal storage is a scalable technology that relies little on these raw materials as opposed to battery technologies.
- Offshore wind energy will play a crucial role in the North Sea region but comes with significant challenges. It was explained that to meet offshore wind targets by 2050, we would need a Ventilus project every 19 kilometers in Northwest Europe.
Be on the lookout for the Ortelius report for in-depth insights!
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