In this interview with Hans Van-der-Weijde, R&D Director at Tata Steel Nederland, will speak on his career in the steel industry, current events in the sector, and how Tata Steel can play a significant role in designing the wind turbine of the future.
You’ve been working in steel/materials your whole career. What draws you to this sector?
I have had a short academic career in materials science, but the real use of knowledge to develop applications and solutions drew me to the industry sector. Within industry, integrated steelworks, consisting of a wide array of different processes and functions, is the perfect ecosystem where knowledge on processes, products, and applications come together.
Can you indicate concisely what is currently happening in your sector and what should be done about this?
I think there are two keywords: green transition and cost pressure. The green transition is an enormous challenge, especially in a the Dutch context in which it also must be a “clean” transition. The current cost pressure due to various circumstances brings another challenge to the existing and future operations.
You are going to speak on the windmills of the future, and how they can help European industry. What is so important about this breakthrough?
Our economy and society will be driven by wind energy for a large part in the future. This includes the production process of our steel. Therefore, a sustainable wind industry is essential. The current design of wind turbines consume a lot of material. The combination of the essence of a sustainable wind industry, and the high material consumption of the current design, led us to brainstorm on alternatives. We are now working on a design that uses around 30% less steel and it is made from materials that Tata Steel Netherlands produces. We see great opportunities, considering our location close to the wind fields at sea. There are also potentially large benefits from a circular perspective. At the end of its lifecycle, a windmill can be recycled at our site and the steel reused for other purposes.
What do you expect to be different in your sector in 10 years from now?
In the steel sector we will have made significant steps to lower emissions (both CO2 and other emissions) and our product portfolio will have further developed to support the high quality local markets. These steps will lead to us finding a place both as a supplier for installations needed in the energy market, and as the end-of-life solution for these installations. We will become an integral part of the transition happening in our North Sea. On top of all that; we will remain a great place to work.
Personal question to close the interview: If you could instantly master one skill, professional or personal, what would it be and why?
The current public debate on industry is heavily polarised. It is based on feelings and emotion, and lacks evidence-based discussion. So the skill I would like to master is the skill of being a moderator that could bridge this gap and reduce polarisation so that we can work jointly on the challenges facing us.
Hans van der Weijde will speak further on this intriguing topic and more on the Offshore Day on the 5th of June in Rotterdam.
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