Electricity flows through the Netherlands like a canal

Creating clean electricity through renewable sources is one part of the solution – but how do you store that electricity in a way that is clean too? This is the question that Dr. David Vermaas and AquaBattery have set out to answer. By using osmosis to store and supply energy, Vermass (pictured) and his team have created a revolutionary new battery that stores electricity in a solution of just water and table salt. According to Vermass, the combination of water and electricity is surprisingly safe – and may currently be the only electrical storage system that is 100 per cent sustainable.

The Green Village in Delft, home to AquaBattery, is an example of how innovative partnerships can foster innovative solutions to global challenges. As a hub for start-ups and new technology, the Green Village is where some of the world’s largest problems around future sustainability are being tackled. Audi understands the need for this better than most; within their ‘Future of mobility’ initiative, the automotive brand took inspiration from some of the world’s leading futurists to imagine what shape transportation will begin to take.

The Netherlands has the second-largest fleet of plug-in electric vehicles per capita in the world – and the Dutch seemingly can’t get enough. A walk around the canals in Amsterdam’s city center reveals a plethora of electric vehicles and charging stations. This however, is just the start. Recent government plans have outlined new measures to further solidify Amsterdam's commitment to a greener transport system. These include subsidies, incentives, and special privileges for electric transport, showing that Amsterdam is serious about development in this sector – with some passionate people in the city taking the lead.

Over 26 per cent of all Dutch territory lies below sea level, with Amsterdam being home to around 20,000 boats using its canal system. That’s a lot of traffic, and a lot of pollution clogging the city’s narrow canals. It’s something that Dutch engineer Anne Kloppenburg (pictured on the right) was deeply concerned about. Rather than talk about it he decided to act, converting his old speedboat into a fully electric vessel. It was an experiment so successful that his startup, New Electric, is now converting commercial boats all over the city. Kloppenburg found a clean, powerful, and silent solution to an age-old problem.

For hundreds of years Holland’s city planning has centered around working in harmony with their ever-encroaching waters – one of the results being Amsterdam’s famous and functional waterways. Anne Kloppenburg and his company New Electric aren’t only servicing pleasure crafts on these canals; the dual-motor set-up seen here has a job to do. Capable of pushing 110 tons (100 metric tonnes) of building materials, this converted electric tug has now been injected with new life – future-proofing it for service on Amsterdam’s booming development projects. This however, is merely the start. Plans are already in place for electric-powered freighter ships to take to Holland’s waterways later this year. This would provide both a commercially smart and ecologically sound alternative to fossil-fueled vessels.

With concerns about air quality within the city center, recent legislation in Amsterdam requires that all canal cruise boats become zero emission vessels by 2025. What’s more, anything driving on wheels in the city center will quickly have to follow suit; making the same emission-free leap by 2030. This is a huge cultural and technological shift, and though these targets are bold, re-fitting ships’ powerplants is perhaps not as radical a move as it may seem. Vessels often have their motors upgraded several times during their lifespan – it just so happens that next time many of them will be swapping out diesel-power for cleaner, greener electric.

The Netherlands’ love of cycling is legendary. In fact, the country is home to more bicycles than people – and on any given day of the week you’ll see thousands of cyclists making their daily commute, transporting kids to school, and carrying anything from shopping to furniture on their bikes. This renowned bike culture wasn’t always an engrained part of life here, however. It’s the result of deliberate urban planning and smart government spending, which is now taking cycle transport to the next level. In Amsterdam for example, cycling culture is receiving a jolt of electricity – with e-bikes now outselling regular road bikes.

In the Netherlands, electricity isn’t just used as a cleaner way to move around. A team at MindAffect in Eindhoven have developed a groundbreaking brain-computer interface that allows ‘locked-in’ patients to communicate using only their electrical brain signals. ‘Locked-In’ syndrome happens when the body is entirely paralyzed – even though the mind is still fully functional. It’s a deeply upsetting experience, but the new technology could hugely improve quality of life for those suffering from this condition. By detecting selective attention, the system identifies what you’re looking at and translates it into a digital command. Simply by looking at the letter A, the system will type it – making it possible for patients to convey messages and emotions.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO~2~ emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the EU guide "Information on the fuel consumption, CO~2~ emissions and energy consumption of new cars," which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships, from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Strasse 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at www.dat.de.