Inclusive Energy Scapes

Abstract

Humanity depends on energy, to protect our planet and maintain a secure energy system, we need to transition towards renewable energy sources. This transition also faces challenges concerning spatial demand, spatial quality, resistance from the population and an unfitting energy infrastructure. The Rhenish Lignite Mining District is one of the places where these problems come together. The area’s foundation is currently lignite mining, but from 2030 onward, the mines will close. What is left is a large energy gap, a polluted and damaged environment and a disturbed socio-economic structure. The Rhenish Mining District is faced with the question of how to regenerate through the design of the minescape of the Rhenish Mining Area towards an inclusive energy transition. Through systemic thinking and scenario design, this thesis displays the possibilities new energy production methods create by being integrated into the minescape. Their symbiotic relations strengthen various aspects of the systems present in the minescape. The scenarios highlight the importance of designing for the green. blue, social and energy systems. The thesis reveals that the footprint of the minescape expands far beyond the borders of the extraction footprint. Therefore, the impact of the energy transition expands far beyond the extraction footprint. This is strengthened by the footprint and impact of renewable energy sources needing significantly more space than the current energy system. Through the scenarios, this thesis triggers the imagination on the possibilities of the energy transition and opens a discussion on the possible futures of the Rhenish minescape.