Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende asks KEMA to inform him about "Smart switching"

Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende has asked KEMA to further elaborate on the winning proposal ‘Smart switching’ of the ProRail prize contest.

The conversation between the Prime Minister and KEMA will take place Thursday, June 25, in Rotterdam, at a meeting on innovative ideas for CO2 reduction. Earlier this year, on June 3, KEMA’s proposal was elected as winner by a jury, chaired by Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven, the former Chair of the Dutch Parliament. The prize was presented by Dutch Minister Jacqueline Cramer of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment.

One-year free lighting
KEMA will be represented by Pier Nabuurs, CEO, and Teun Ploeg, Market Issue Leader of the group ‘Rail, Public Transportation & Infrastructure’. The company's winning proposal details a plan to reduce the rail energy loss by 30 percent through smart switching at double track sections. If the plan is applied throughout the entire country, ProRail would be able to illuminate all train stations in the Netherlands for a full year with this saved energy.

The Hague – Arnhem track CO2 neutral
KEMA's proposal has drawn a great deal of media attention. In due course, the organizations will prepare to start a pilot project for the track between Arnhem and Utrecht. This project is part of an initiative to make the The Hague – Arnhem track CO2 neutral. KEMA is also closely involved in this initiative. ProRail is determined to realize this plan, which contains issues like electricity generation from wind and solar power at tracks, the procurement of ‘green electricity’, and the use of geothermal and heat storage.