MSLGROUP's latest edition of ON Energy Report looks at how 2015 will be a year of change for the European energy landscape across markets, politics, regulation and innovation. The sixth report from MSLGROUP's European Energy practice, “2015: a year of unprecedented change?" carries in-depth commentary from the company's energy experts in Brussels, France, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK. We hope you enjoy this latest snapshot from across the European energy communications landscape. For future updates, please contact Nick Bastin, Partner, CNC and Head of MSLGROUP’s EMEA Energy Practice at nick.bastin@cnc-communications.com. Do share your queries/feedback with our team at @CNC_comms or reach out to us on twitter @msl_group.

1. 1 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Issue 6 | March 2015
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
France
France turns the heat up on COP21, the
climate change conference in Paris in 2015
PAGE
6
Italy
A law that promises faster authorisation and
new opportunities for Italian and international
players.
PAGE
8
Netherlands
Blue Energy: the never-ending energy source
Typically Dutch solution could be a game
changer
PAGE
13
UK
A view from the UK as the pre-election cold
begins to bite
PAGE
9
ENERGY
REPORT

2. 2 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Contents
Contents
Introduction 3
2015: A critical year for the Energy Union 4
France turns the heat up on COP21, the climate
change conference in Paris in 2015 6
Unlocking Italy 8
A view from the UK as the pre-election cold
begins to bite 9
Sweden: capacity is the new black 11
Blue Energy: the never-ending energy source 13
MSLGROUP can make the difference 15
Where we are 16
2

3. 3 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
2015 – a year of unprecedented change?
For energy market participants, 2015 is shaping up to be a year of almost
unprecedented change.
This change can be felt across markets, politics, regulation and innova-
tion, all of which we touch on in the current edition of ON.
We have seen the rapidly evolving commodity price environment pull
the rug from under many a corporate business plan, meaning that com-
petition for capital will become more intense, fewer projects will be com-
pleted and contractual negotiations for service companies will be longer
and more painful.
But these market driven changes are only one side of the coin. There is
a considerable regulatory and political change too: will this be the year
that Europe finally gets a co-ordinated energy policy? What change will
the many elections across the continent during the year throw up? Last
but not least, will the United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Paris at the end of the year create a way forward on climate change that
meets the needs of both developed and developing worlds?
With all this uncertainty, it is sometimes easy to overlook that innovation
still represents a critical opportunity for the world to meet its energy ob-
jectives. We have seen the revolution that renewables have unleashed
in Germany, the implications of which were not always as intended, and
they are certainly a powerful example of how change can be effected
through a combination of political will, regulation and financial muscle.
As new forms of distributed energy become more common – everything
from the more pervasive fuel cells and batteries, to the more exotic, such
as small scale nuclear reactors, innovation could surely offer a compel-
ling solution.
Change always brings with it uncertainty, the fear of the unknown, but also
the potential for new and better ways of working – we welcome looking
at problems afresh and coming up with new and better solutions. We
have experienced some exciting changes too, with the merger of Capital
MSL and CNC Communications in January 2015 this merger brings
significantly enhanced scale and reach, with 150 specialist colleagues in
11 offices in 8 countries, all under the umbrella of MSLGROUP.
Have a look at our new website (www.cnc-communications.com) to find
out more.
We hope you enjoy this latest snapshot from across the European energy
communications landscape.
Nick Bastin
Partner, CNC, Head of MSLGROUP EMEA Energy Practice
Introduction
3

4. 4 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
In 2015, the European institutions will focus on two
topical missions: the release of the European Commis-
sion’s much-awaited strategy on the energy union and,
in December, the final outcome of the United Nations
Climate Change Conference in Paris.
Towards a Strategy for the Energy Union
On the 25th of February, the European Commission
will unveil its draft strategy for the Energy Union, which
has been highly anticipated by energy circles in Brus-
sels. Over half of the EU’s Commissioners are involved
in the elaboration of this strategy, including Commis-
sioners for energy and climate, internal market, com-
petition, the digital agenda, regional policy, research,
and the High Representative of the EU for foreign af-
fairs.
The Energy Union is expected to be structured around
five pillars:
(1) security of supply
(2) completion of the internal energy market
(3) demand moderation
(4) decarbonisation of the EU energy mix
(5) research and innovation.
2015: A critical year for the Energy Union
Energy policy emerges as one of the most critical priorities for the new EU leadership and is
gaining political relevance. Two Commissioners will share the responsibility for energy during
the legislative period ahead: Miguel Arias Cañete and Maroš Šefčovič.
Romain Seignovert
MSLGROUP, Brussels
romain.seignovert@mslgroup.com
The strategy is expected to include 42 diplomatic, po-
litical and legislative measures in the energy domain,
which will encapsulate the various initiatives previously
discussed separately or in subgroups. In particular, it
will propose a revision of directives, including those on
carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency, renew-
able energy and fuel quality. However, the objective,
timeline and content of these reviews remain unclear
for the moment.
The European Commission will put forward options
for the common purchasing of gas and initiatives to
increase the diversification of gas supply routes by tar-
geting Norway, North Africa and the USA. It will also
put forward measures to legally require gas suppliers
to build up reserves. This strategy is of utmost impor-
tance to energy stakeholders in Brussels, as it will set
the tone and perspective for the next five years of EU
energy policy. The uncertainty over oil prices in the
short and long term has already reshaped the debate
and has forced policymakers to reconsider their origi-
nal energy strategies, which were built on the assump-
tion of higher oil prices. As gas contracts are linked to
the price of oil, renewable energy producers are ap-
prehensive of increased competition from electricity
generated by gas-fired power stations. Some Member
States are considering a reduction or removal of their
subsidies for fossil fuel infrastructure. This stance has
been backed by the European Commissioner for Ener-
gy who has called for a reallocation of these subsidies
for renewable energy projects.
Until June, the rotating presidency of the European
Council is being held by Latvia. This government has

5. 5 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
organised a high-level ministerial conference in Riga
on 6 February to discuss concrete objectives and a
timeline for implementing an Energy Union. At this
occasion, industry representatives and stakeholders
were given the opportunity to debate and reach an
agreement on the future of European energy policy.
Towards a global agreement on Climate
Change
Throughout 2015 and in particular during the second
half of the year, the European Commission and ener-
gy stakeholders will be busy with preparations for the
December Climate Change Conference in Paris. In its
programme for 2015, the European Commission said
it will issue a Communication entitled ‘The Road to
Paris’, which “will set out the EU vision and expecta-
tions in the run-up to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Confer-
ence of the Parties in Paris at the end of 2015 and will
begin to table the legislative proposals to implement
the 2030 Climate and Energy package.”
Leading by example, the EU is currently discussing a
policy framework, which includes setting itself a 2030
emissions reduction target of 40% below 1990 levels,
with renewables targets representing at least 27% of
the European energy mix by 2030. Industry represent-
atives in Brussels reacted shortly after the informal
agreement on the proposal in October 2014 and made
no secret of their discontent. Two major pan-European
business organisations, namely BusinessEurope and
Eurochambres consider that such an approach would
be detrimental to the competitiveness of the Europe-
an industry and should reduce emissions in a more
cost-effective way. In addition, NGOs and environmen-
talists argued that the targets are “desperately inad-
equate and ineffective- Europe has lost all credibility
with respect to its ambitions on energy and climate
policy”.
Energy and environment ministers will further discuss
the 2030 energy/climate framework at an informal
meeting on 14-16 April in Riga under the leadership
of the Latvian Presidency. Based on these talks, the
European Commission will come forward with a more
formal legislative proposal in the first semester of the
year. The framework will then have to go through the
full co-decision procedure involving the Parliament
and Council. As the process is likely to take 12 to 18
months, there is only a small chance that the frame-
work will be finalised before the Paris Conference in
December.
Besides those two major energy dossiers, the Europe-
an Commission will continue its policy debates on the
reform of the European Emissions Trading System (EU
ETS), the deployment and funding of Trans-European
energy infrastructures, the uptake of Carbon Capture
and Storage (CSS) technologies, and the negotiation
of international partnerships in the field of energy.
2015 EU ENERGY MILESTONES
February 6
High Level Ministerial
and stakeholder
conference on
Energy Union (Riga)
February 12
EU Heads of State
and Government
meeting
(Brussels)
Presentation of the
Strategy for the Energy
Union (Brussels)
March 5
EU Energy Ministers
meeting (Brussels)
March 19
EU Heads of State
and Government
meeting (Brussels)
Spring
New Energy Charter with
Central and Eastern European
Countries (Brussels)
Informal meeting of EU
Energy Ministers (Riga)
June 8
EU Energy Ministers
meeting (Brussels)
EU Heads of State
and Government
meeting (Brussels)
United Nations
Climate Change
Conference (Paris)
June 25
November 30 - December 11
February 25
April 14-16

6. 6 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
The stakes are getting higher and higher for COP21,
the Climate Change Conference which France will host
near Paris from 30 November to 11 December, 2015.
France’s President Francois Hollande sees the event
as a way to add positive points to his presidential leg-
acy and has tasked his Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabi-
us, to pull out all the stops for the country to assure
positive results in the form of obligatory national com-
mitments to reduce greenhouse gases, among other
objectives.
The international push is getting additional momen-
tum from the US, where Barack Obama has also iden-
tified the Paris exercise as a way for him, too, to add
lustre to his presidential legacy.
The good news for them - and, theoretically at least -
for the world and its climate, is that COP20 in Lima,
Peru, actually went far to set the stage for success in
Paris this year.
One of the reasons for that success was the pre-con-
ference bombshell announcement that China and the
US -the world’s top two carbon emitters - had agreed
between themselves on an ambitious joint plan to
cut carbon emissions as a way of encouraging other
nations to make their own reductions in greenhouse
gases.
The unexpected accord was a key catalyst for Lima, and
perhaps for Paris, because it includes new targets for
carbon emission reductions by the US, as well as un-
precedented commitments by China to stop its emis-
sions from increasing by 2030.
The stratagem seemed to have worked, among other
diplomatic efforts, to achieve enough progress in Lima
to allow for some optimism for a strong multilateral
accord in Paris this year, providing that all nations com-
mit to their own significant reductions.
France turns the heat up on COP21, the climate
Change Conference in Paris in 2015
Seth Goldschlager
France
seth.goldschlager@consultants.publicis.fr

7. 7 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Why is the optimism coming out of Lima and
heading towards Paris?
The agreement is the first to commit every country in
the world to reducing fossil fuel emissions. This is the
first time that all countries - rich and poor - have agreed
to cut back on the burning of oil, gas and coal.
The Lima Accord includes pledges by every country
to create a plan to reduce domestic emissions, al-
though it does not include legally binding language
that would require countries to commit to any specific
reduction. Instead, countries agreed to enact domes-
tic laws to reduce the emissions, along with a plan by
March 31, 2015, describing how much each country
will cut after 2020 and to identify the national pro-
grammes that will be adopted to achieve those ob-
jectives.
There is some wiggle room, however; countries that
miss the March 31 deadline will be able to announce
them by June. So we need to get ready for a new tech-
nical name if not a new acronym: “Intended Nationally
Determined Contributions”. Taken together, these na-
tional commitments should form the basis of obliga-
tions to be signed in Paris at COP21.
Is the optimism misplaced?
Critics say that the whole process is now based on
peer pressure, including the example of the China
and US breakthrough deal. However, there is no re-
quirement to make the significant cuts in carbon
emissions that scientists say are needed to avoid
even more damage. This could lead to countries an-
nouncing weak plans, with no real changes in their
behavior, or even no plans at all as there are no sanc-
tions if countries do not participate.
What we can look forward to in the run-up to COP21
in Paris is a major lobbying offensive by France and
allies to pressure countries to submit solid plans to
which they will commit by the end of the year.
Of particular interest will be what the US does. Can
Barack Obama get the unruly Republican-led Con-
gress to follow his lead? Will changes in oil pric-
es and other economic or geopolitical shifts make
countries think twice about moving away from cheap
fossil fuels to expensive renewables, even if job cre-
ation is a goal of the push to renewables?
Keep watching for a year-long marathon, culminating
in December, 2015 in Paris.

8. 8 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Unlocking Italy
A decree-law that promises faster authorisation and approval
procedures and new opportunities for Italian and international
exploration and production players
In the July issue of ON – “Europe’s changing Energy
future” we described how to unchain the Italian energy
strategy through consensus generation, how to avoid
continuing to miss opportunities for the opposition of
local communities unwilling to accept energy installa-
tions in their backyard, and de facto vetoing any initia-
tive with their various protests and demonstrations.
The decree-law no. 133 of September 12, 2014, com-
monly known as “Unlocking Italy”, could be read as a
possible answer by the Government to the same prob-
lem, yet still not based on the dialectic process.
In fact, the decree introduced sev-
eral measures for the valori-
sation of domestic ener-
gy resources avoiding,
in essence, multiple
opposition “arenas”
thanks to a radical sim-
plification of the au-
thorisation and approval
path.
This law confirms the need
to pursue and encourage
the sustainable production
of national hydrocarbons, as
Italy is highly dependent on
energy imports (more than 90%
of hydrocarbons are imported),
with a negative energy trade bal-
ance and negative consequenc-
es on the supply security.
The government decree intro-
duces provisions aimed at sim-
plifying and speeding up the
authorisation and approval pro-
cedures for the extraction of hy-
drocarbons onshore. Specifically, it allows the transi-
tion from the three existing authorisation and approval
stages– covering exploration, appraisal drilling and
production - to one simple process, as seen in other
European countries such as the UK and Norway.
The authorization and approval process will last just six
months and will be based on the “general programme
of work” submitted by the proponent.
Within the next six months, the Ministry of Economic
Development will implement new procedural guide-
lines that will lay out detailed procedures to obtain the
authorisation and regulate related activities.
Overall, the measures envisaged, although still to be
integrated and improved, are valuable and may initiate
a revitalisation of the exploration and production mar-
ket, consider the potential of the national reserves of
oil and gas, and attract new investment, potentially by
foreign operators.
According to Nomisma Energia, there are €15 bil-
lion worth of potential investments ready to be
unlocked in the area, granting about €1 bil-
lion in terms of taxes and royalties to Italy’s
budget.
Arguably, even if the decree is meeting its
aim, it is unlikely that there will be a unan-
imous agreement among the multiple
stakeholders.
Through the decree, the national govern-
ment holds the power to decide what has
been defined as “strategic, urgent and not
deferrable matters”. This is in line with
the hunger for solutions and rad-
ical reforms driving Renzi’s
approach.
Alessandro Chiarmasso
Italy
Alessandro.chiarmasso@mslgroup.com

9. 9 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
2015 is a critical time of change in the European Energy landscape as many countries head for
elections and the European Union is contemplating the shape of its future energy policy. What
can we expect to see in the UK?
All change please. All change.
As with many other European countries, 2015 will see
the 56th General Election being held in the UK.
On the back of years of austerity and rising living costs,
the coalition government, formed by the Conservative
PartyandtheLiberalDemocrats,couldfindthemselves
replaced by a stagnant and somewhat disillusioned
Labour. Additionally, the rise of the UK Independence
Party (UKIP) and its charismatic leader, Nigel Farage,
could unsettle the ship, if it hasn’t done so already.
A view from the UK as the pre-election cold
begins to bite
Liam Clark
UK
liam.clark@cnc-communications.com
Similarly to other European countries, the topic of en-
ergy, or more precisely energy prices, will be both front
of mind for the electorate and a problem that most
British MP’s could do without.
The average UK family’s annual dual-fuel bill (gas and
electricity) is now over €1,575 – while energy prices in
Britain have risen eight times faster than wage increas-
es over the past three years – and this is expected to
rise again this winter. Some Europeans will no doubt
be wondering why the Brits are moaning; in compari-
son to countries such as Greece, Spain or Portugal, UK
energy costs appear a bargain. The problem is that the
UK had it too cheap for too long, and the sector has
been crippled by a lack of investment in infrastructure.
Who’s who?
With potential change on the horizon, we’ve provided a
snapshot of what to expect from the three main politi-
cal parties in terms of energy policy:

10. 10 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Liberal Democrats:
Rather than talk directly about energy policy, the Liber-
al Democrats have tended to talk more about climate
change and the need for emission reduction. Whilst
the Lib Dems are highly unlikely to win the General
Election outright, should they form part of a repeat co-
alition government, we would expect to see:
• Renewable investment; an increase in renewable
investment, notably offshore and onshore wind, is a
given. The Lib Dems have come to blows with The
Conservatives during this coalition government but
still claim to have more than doubled renewable
energy generation and investment over the past
five years. They are determined to increase the
number of ‘green jobs’ in the UK and further subsi-
dies would help pave the way
The Conservative party
The Conservative Party conference in October 2014
did little to communicate a need for radical change in
energy policy, nor did it propose anything new. David
Cameron failed to outline the route, should he win the
general election, his party would take forward, but we
would expect a number policy themes to remain:
• Increased foreign investment; expect to see similar
deals to Hinkley Point that saw French-owned EDF
working alongside two Chinese state-owned nucle-
ar companies and some £17.6bn of subsidies being
handed out
• Instability in renewables; the summer of 2014 saw
the Coalition Government back track on its level
of renewable subsidiaries through the Renewable
Obligation Certificate scheme. Business models
The Labour Party
In September 2014, Labour’s Caroline Flint announced
the partys plan for a ‘war on cold homes’ and subse-
quently a host of policy changes, mainly focussed on
energy efficiencies, which they hope will deliver on the
pledge. Should Labour win, their policies include:
• Price freeze; a commitment to honour Ed Milib-
and’s show stopping ‘energy price freeze for 20
months’ policy that was originally proposed in 2013.
Whether this is both implementable and legal re-
mains to be seen as the debate rumbles on
• Upgrades; ‘whole house energy retrofits’ for
households in fuel poverty – and those considered
were shattered overnight. Reduction of the nation-
al deficit comes first, so expect more ‘yo-yo’ style
policy on renewables
• North Sea; oil and gas production has been in
decline since the turn of the millennium. The
Conservatives need the tax revenue the North Sea
generates. As a result, we expect a more liberal
North Sea tax regime and deals done on a case-by-
case basis
• Fracking; George Osborne is determined to see
fracking and a subsequent shale gas revolution
across Britain. With rising energy costs, increased
foreign imports and declining energy security we’d
expect him to get his way if a deal can be done with
landowners
to be most at risk of falling into it – by upgrading
their energy rating to band C and cutting bills by an
estimated £273 a year
• Rights for renters; an overhaul of the often criti-
cised rental sector that often sees families on low
incomes living in cold and damp conditions as land-
lords fail to modernise and invest in their properties
• Fracking; the Labour Party is in favour of shale gas
extraction, although they claim that any hydrocar-
bon recovery through fracking could only be con-
ducted once regulations and policy are tightened
• Nuclear policy; the Lib Dems announced back
in 2013 that they no longer oppose nuclear
(previously a flagship and cherished policy) on the
basis of it being a lesser evil than climate change.
Whilst you could never call the Lib Dems ‘pro-
nuclear’, you can expect to see further deals such
as Hinkley Point
• Ban on coal; Ed Davey, Secretary for Energy and
Climate Change, has made a commitment to ban
electricity generation from the ‘climate destroyer’
coal within the next parliament. Whether that’s
possible remains to be seen
• Hydrocarbons left in the cold; with a focus on
renewables and low emission sustainable energy
sources, we would expect the UK’s traditional fossil
fuel sector to become stagnant

11. 11 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Sweden: Capacity is the new black
The energy market is undergoing rapid change across
Europe. This is most evident in the markets that have
seen major expansion of wind or solar power. Weath-
er-dependent electricity production at times generates
a large supply at lower prices, which dramatically re-
duces the profitability of traditional production. When
power plants are no longer profitable, it is not possible
to maintain them. What happens in the long run? Will
the network companies responsible for balance in the
electricity system be able to maintain deliveries round
the clock on their own, or will government action and a
new type of electricity market be needed?
Ahead of the parliamentary energy commission to be
appointed by the Swedish government in March, new
Social Democratic Energy Minister Ibrahim Baylan has
called for a debate on the energy system’s capacity as
opposed to its ability to produce energy. But his ap-
peal is unnecessary – the debate on the risk of a future
capacity deficiency is already underway, partly due to
the past year’s low energy prices. Evidently, the En-
ergy Minister has become more concerned about the
problem since he assumed office in October 2014. The
government recently called a meeting to discuss how
it will secure reserve capacity in the electricity system
after 2020. This issue will now be handled through a
decision-making process that is faster-moving than the
larger energy commission.
Just a few years ago, the intention was to stop all gov-
ernment procurement of reserve power and transfer
all responsibility for balancing power to electricity
market operators – a goal that was also supported by
the business sector. The energy policy trend is now
moving in another direction. The next step is to initi-
ate a discussion on how a capacity market should be
designed. This issue will probably be taken up by the
future energy commission.
The fundamental question is: what happens if a situa-
tion occurs in which, due to insufficient output supply,
network companies don’t want to assume responsibil-
ity for balance in the electricity system? Paradoxically,
environmental proponents are now insisting that the
market can assume responsibility and that no govern-
ment intervention is required, while the business sec-
Per Ola Bosson
Sweden
perola.bosson@jklgroup.com

12. 12 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
tor is voicing concern about future power failures and
wishes for government action. One reason for this is, of
course, that the environmental movement is aware that
a capacity market may promote the continued opera-
tion of nuclear power plants or the construction of new
gas-fired plants.
Laissez faire has never been a popular solution in Swed-
ish politics – traditionally, the tendency is more towards
detailed political regulations and government interven-
tion. It’s hard to believe that Sweden – with its large, elec-
tricity-intensive base industry – would take the chance
that market operators can guarantee electricity system
capacity, when no-one wants to invest in power produc-
tion that can guarantee weather-independent supply.
But if or when Sweden (and, for that matter, other Eu-
ropean countries) introduces a capacity market, the
question remains as to who will invest in traditional
power plants. Private investors will demand very long-
term thinking in terms of the regulations offered. Can
Sweden’s new government party – the Greens – go
along with this?
The Green Party’s energy policy spokesperson, Lise
Nordin, was asked via Twitter last autumn what would
guarantee supply to the electricity system when wind
and solar power are not producing any electricity. Her
answer: ”Renewable!”

13. 13 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Blue Energy: The never-ending energy source
Typically Dutch solution could be a game changer
The project was initiated by a consortium of three par-
ties: manufacturer of the membranes Fujifilm, water
technology institute, Wetsus, and Red Stack, a compa-
ny that develops the Blue Energy technology. Together,
they ultimately aim to further develop the pilot plant in
order to quadruple the energy output to 200 kW. This
would lead to the creation of a core module that, in
principle, could be stacked infinitely.
How it works
In this project, the pilot plant uses reverse electro dialy-
sis (RED) technology to generate energy by letting salt
and fresh water flow through membranes in separate
compartments. The salt water contains negative parti-
cles and the fresh water positive ones, which are being
filtered out by the membranes. This leads to a voltage
difference that can be transformed into electrical en-
ergy by connecting the two streams with a wire. All this
is quite similar to the principle of a battery. After the
whole process, the water is then disposed as brackish
water. The whole procedure ensures that Blue Energy
is a sustainable technology with which one can gener-
ate energy 24 hours a day, without any CO2
emissions!
Erik Martens
Netherlands
erik.martens@msl.nl
Timen van Haaster
Netherlands
timen.van.haaster@msl.nl
Late November 2014, the Dutch King (and internationally renowned water expert) Willem-
Alexander officially opened the first Blue Energy pilot plant at the Afsluitdijk – a major, 32
kilometers long causeway that separates the fresh water Lake IJssel from the salt water North
Sea. This plant is the first of its kind worldwide, and is set up to test the whole process of using the
different salt concentration levels between the salt and fresh water. The first goal is to successfully
and continuously generate 50 kW of energy in this pilot plant through Blue Energy principles.

14. 14 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Future outlook for Blue Energy
Blue Energy has come a long way already. The first test
in the laboratory of Wageningen University in 2006
generated an output of 0.1 W – just enough to run a
small propeller. This miniature installation was scaled
up by a factor 10,000 in 2009 when it ran in a salt fac-
tory. The 1,000 W of output at that time resembled that
of a vacuum cleaner. The current pilot plant of 50 kW
is also still in development, with the developing con-
sortium aiming to raise the output to 200 kW per plant.
From that point on, the installation of 1,000 plants
along the Afsluitdijk would make it possible to power
all households in the entire Northern part of the Neth-
erlands (200 MW for nearly 800,000 households). The
earliest date at which the consortium think this could
be viable is 2020.
This development represents a transition: the gener-
ation of Blue Energy would coincide with the increas-
ing depletion of the enormous Slochteren natural gas
field in the Northern part of the Netherlands. The shift
to Blue Energy would enable this part of the country to
move towards a sustainable economy and create high
quality jobs.
From a broader perspective, Blue Energy has a lot of
potential. Conservative estimates of suitable locations
for Blue Energy plants in the Netherlands put the po-
tential output at 2,000 MW, around 12% of the total
energy consumption. Every cubic meter of river water
that flows into the sea could generate 1 MW of electri-
cal power per second. A first research of suitable riv-
ers worldwide shows that at least 1,600 TW could be
generated – this is half the energy consumption of the
European Union!
Thresholds for adoption
The production price of Blue Energy, Redstack be-
lieves, will amount to as little as 8 cents per kilowatt
hour. That is cheaper than solar and wind energy, but
still more expensive than the energy produced by con-
ventional power plants that use oil, coal or gas.
However, some doubts remain on possible issues that
could have a negative effect on Blue Energy produc-
tion prices. The central issue is the discharge of the
brackish water. The power plant’s effluent should be
discharged away from the plant in such a way that it
does not contaminate the supplies of fresh water and
salt water, since this would decrease the salinity dif-
ference between the two types of water and hence
decrease the energy output. In other words: the plant
might need to improve its infrastructure by building
pipes or long groins, if it was scaled up to the planned
size. Or, as Redstack already envisions, tides might
help solve the discharge problem.
Another issue comes from an ecological perspective.
Environmental scientists are worried about the mem-
branes filtering out plankton, fish and mussel larvae.
This could have an impact on sea life, biodiversity
and the future economic viability of mussel farmers.
Another possible issue would be periods of drought,
which could lead to a shortage of fresh water. To gain
a more holistic view of these issues, several research
institutions will collaborate to research these matters
in 2015.
Conclusion
The dawn of Blue Energy could prove to be a disrup-
tive innovation in the energy sector, albeit one with very
positive consequences. Although Blue Energy alone
does not have the ability to make the whole economy
sustainable (yet), over time it may become a consid-
erable, ‘green’ player in the overall energy mix. Let’s
hope that this new business case in the energy field
rises to the challenge and gets the attention and op-
portunities it deserves.
Afsluitdijk
The Afsluitdijk is a fundamental part of the
larger Zuiderzee Works which were completed
in the 1930s to protect the country from the sea
and to polder sizeable areas. It dammed off the
Zuiderzee, a salt water inlet of the North Sea,
and turned it into a fresh water lake.

15. 15 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
personer
MSLGROUP can make the difference
MSLGROUP is Publicis Groupe’s strategic communications and engage-
ment group, advisors in all aspects of communication strategy: from
consumer PR to financial communications, from public affairs to rep-
utation management and from crisis communications to experiential
marketing and events. With more than 3,500 people across close to 100
offices worldwide, MSLGROUP is also the largest PR network in Europe,
fast-growing China and India. The group offers strategic planning and
counsel, insight-guided thinking and big, compelling ideas – followed by
thorough execution.
MSLGROUP’s EMEA Energy Practice is a leader in advising companies
from Europe and around the world on communications issues in the en-
ergy sector. Across 15 countries and 27 offices, our European network
supports clients that range from large publicly listed Fortune 500 organ-
isations, to small, privately held companies. We currently advise a third
of the energy companies in the Eurotop 100.
From attracting the best talent, to communications with investors; from
crisis preparedness, to corporate reputation management; and from nu-
clear to renewables: we understand the key communications issues that
keep energy companies awake at night.
With both breadth and depth of energy communications expertise across
Europe’s key markets, we know that effective, best practice communica-
tions can deliver value to stakeholders across the energy value chain.
In January 2015, Capital MSL merged with CNC Communications, our
sister company within MSLGROUP. CNC Communications is one of the
largest strategic financial communications agencies in Europe and this
merger brings significantly enhanced scale and reach, with 150 specialist
colleagues in 11 offices in 8 countries, all under the umbrella of MSL-
GROUP.
Have a look at our new website to find out more - www.cnc-communica-
tions.com.
If you want to find out more about the work we do, or enquire as to how we
might be able to help, don’t hesitate to contact our team member in your
market – or contact Nick Bastin at nick.bastin@cnc-communications.com.
Anders Kempe
Regional president MSL-
GROUP EMEA
anders.kempe@mslgroup.com
Nick Bastin
Head of Energy
MSLGROUP EMEA
nick.bastin@cnc-communica-
tions.com
Per Ola Bosson
Sweden
per.ola.bosson@jklgroup.com
Alessandro Chiarmasso
Italy
alessandro.chiarmasso@
mslgroup.com
Liam Clark
UK
liam.clark@cnc-communica-
tions.com
Seth Goldschlager
France
seth.goldschlager@
consultants.publicis.fr
Otto Fricke
Germany
otto.fricke@ cnc-communi-
cations.com
Peter Steere
Belgium/ Sweden
peter.steere@jklgroup.com
Pawel Tomczuk
Poland
pawel.tomczuk@mslgroup.
com
Erik Martens
Netherlands
erik.martens@msl.nl
Florian Wastl
Germany
florian.wastl@mslgroup.com
OUR TEAM
15
Leonardo Sforza
Brussels
leonardo.sforza@
mslgroup.com

16. 16 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
Where we are
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Affiliate Office
over 100 Offices / 59 Affiliates / 22 Countries / 100 Markets 3,500+ Staff
The largest agency in Greater China,
India and Europe

17. 17 ENERGY REPORT
March 2015
www.mslgroup.com
To find out more about MSLGROUP’s services,
please contact
Nick Bastin
+44 (0) 20 3219 8814
nick.bastin@cnc-communications.com
ENERGY
NEWSLETTER