Today, we welcomed the Japanese delegation and RVO to our location in Emmeloord!

The visit took place as part of an international cooperation program in the field of climate. RVO supports the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the embassy in Japan in promoting ATES (Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage) in Japan. While there is a lot of potential and interest from Japanese businesses and the government, there are still some barriers hindering the rollout of this technology. A significant challenge is the limited number of drilling rigs and the lack of experience with ATES drilling in Japan. Therefore, the visit focused on knowledge sharing.

The day started with a visit to an ATES drilling during a typical Dutch rain shower at Verhoeven-Drune, where the delegation could witness an ATES drilling in practice. Fortunately, we could take shelter from the rain at Opti-flor until the rain passed.

Next, we had lunch together in Emmeloord, after which Bram Muurlink gave a presentation that, with the help of the interpreter, led to many interesting questions and answers.

After the presentation, the guests were given a tour of our production halls, followed by coffee, tea, and a treat to end the day on a good note.

We thank the Japanese delegation and RVO for their visit!