Meet Lucien Moolhuizen
Lucien, with his passion for energy innovation, has been instrumental in several energy storage projects for Alfen in Europe. We sat down with him to find out more about his role at Alfen.
Can you describe your role at Alfen and the journey that brought you here?
“I started my career as an oil and gas field engineer, working on rigs, platforms, and drill ships. After some time, I transitioned into sales and business development. My journey to Alfen was driven by a desire to be part of the solution to environmental challenges rather than a part of the problem. What attracted me to Alfen was the technology and being at the forefront of the energy transition to enable the shift at a fast pace with high-tech projects. The scale and impact of these projects are incredibly interesting.”
What aspects of working at Alfen are most fulfilling to you?
“Internally, the most fulfilling aspect is the team dynamic. We have a non-hierarchical structure where everyone’s opinion is valued, regardless of their experience or background. This collaborative and inclusive environment plus the fun and engaging team culture makes working here enjoyable. Externally, the passion and enthusiasm of our customers for their projects are very rewarding. Unlike most of my previous experience in oil and gas, I get to work with clients who are genuinely excited about getting their projects off the ground and having a positive impact.”
How do you understand your customers’ specific needs and challenges?
“We differentiate ourselves by our open and honest approach combined with our technical know-how. When speaking with customers, we share our knowledge freely, especially with those new to the energy storage industry. This helps us grow together with our customers, forming strong partnerships. For example, with Ellevio, our initial contact was for their first energy storage project, and we've now done numerous projects together, enhancing mutual understanding and collaboration.”
What is special about some of the deals you were recently involved in?
“Two of the projects from the second quarter of 2024 were not just battery energy storage systems wins but also involved smart grid solutions on the medium voltage integration side. For these projects, we provided additional solutions like switchgear and substations, showcasing our capability to deliver comprehensive energy solutions.”
Could you share an example of how Alfen tailored a solution to meet one of customer’s specific needs?
“One notable example is a project in the Nordics where we tailored our modular TheBattery Elements system to include black start functionality, which was crucial to the customer’s operations for recovery from a total or partial loss of grid power. In this case it was powering back wind turbines in such an event. This is a site-specific requirement, and small details are important, which in this case we were able to accommodate with our BESS solution.
Generally speaking, across various projects, not only do we provide top-notch batteries, but we can also go the extra mile by offering complete solutions. We can integrate our own AC charging stations for EV users and smart grid technology for medium voltage integration, taking on the entire project from start to finish, including all engineering, procurement, and construction. This way, our customers don’t have to worry about a thing—we handle it all.”
In what ways does Alfen's approach to building relationships with our customers stand out from other companies you've worked with?
“I think our approach can be characterised by openness, honesty, and a collaborative spirit. We work closely with our customers throughout the entire project lifecycle, sharing knowledge and ensuring good communications and partnership. Customers often return to us because they appreciate the detailed, transparent and honest nature of our proposals. This goes hand-in-hand, of course, with our ability to deliver projects successfully and on time. We may not always be the cheapest solution but the quality we deliver and the collaborative customer-focused approach to always wanting to find a solution, has meant that we see customers come back to us, even a few that have tried working with competitors that were cheaper.”
How does Alfen’s TheBattery Elements technology address our customers’ most common challenges?
“TheBattery Elements is basically a modular solution for building a really large battery for industrial or grid scale projects. It offers several benefits, including incredibly fast reaction times for charging and discharging energy to and from the battery, and allowing large amounts of energy to be stored over time. This combination is used for several use cases, for example, balancing the frequency on the grid, serving as a buffer for renewable energy sources, optimising a facility's energy generation and usage, and helping mitigate grid congestion issues. This flexibility and capability to store and discharge energy quickly are crucial for maintaining grid stability and supporting the energy transition.”
What has been one of the most rewarding Alfen projects you’ve worked on, and what made it special?
“The first project with Ellevio stands out the most. It was one of the first projects I saw through completely from start to finish at Alfen, and it involved working with a lot of wonderful people in Sweden. It all started by taking a chance to sit down with a relatively new startup, Flower, which has now grown into a really successful flexibility provider and BESS developer. They ended up introducing us to Ellevio, one of their backers, and the first project stemmed from that initial introduction quite quickly. I think the strong like-mindedness, cultural alignment and open, honest communications made this collaboration particularly satisfying. Especially now that we're doing many more projects with them both.”
How do you stay informed about industry trends and technological advancements to best serve your customers?
“There are a few different avenues I use to keep informed on the latest-and-greatest. There are industry networks and conferences that provide a lot of information on industry challenges and technological advancements. There is of course also a wealth of technical knowledge within the ESS team and the rest of the Alfen organisation, and the collaborative approach here at Alfen also supports knowledge sharing and staying up-to-date with industry trends.”
And if you’re not working for Alfen - what do you like to do in your free time?
“My wife and I live in Amsterdam, although I grew up and spent most of my life abroad. We love to travel, explore different cultures and enjoy a glass of wine and good food with friends whenever we can. I'm passionate about photography and the underwater world and so I love diving, both scuba-diving and freediving. Although I do it less often now that I'm back in the Netherlands, I seize every opportunity I can to be on or under the water.”