The Dutch Director-General for the Environment spoke on biofuels on behalf of Minister Huizinga at the VNPI meeting ‘Biofuels in perspective' (Biobrandstoffen in perspectief) on 24 June 2010 at the Museon in The Hague.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for this vision of biofuels. First and foremost, I would like to pass on Tineke Huizinga's apologies. She would like to have been here today, however, sometimes a minister's time is under just as much pressure as the defence of the Dutch football team!

I understand that you had a lively and interesting debate this afternoon about the role of biofuels in our transition to a sustainable energy supply. My thanks to Netherlands Petroleum Industry Association (Vereniging Nederlandse Petroleum Industrie, VNPI) for this initiative.

On 24 June 2010, Dutch Minister Huizinga opened the Floating Pavilion (Drijvend Paviljoen) in the Rijnhaven area of Rotterdam. The pavilion is intended as an icon for sustainable construction and design and the ambitious climate action plan advocated by Rotterdam. The Floating Pavilion also houses the newly established national water centre Nationaal Watercentrum - a showcase and meeting point for the Dutch water sector.

Plants
The Floating Pavilion employs the crème de la crème of sustainable technology and is a showpiece for sustainable construction and design. It is heated and cooled using solar energy and surface water, its waste water is purified and reused and plants are used for insulation. "The Nationaal Water Centrum has enabled us to combine forces in the field of water innovation and strengthen our competitive position internationally. It provides an opportunity to present Dutch water expertise to a wide public, both in the Netherlands and abroad," according to Minister Huizinga, who officially opened the pavilion with Mayor Aboutaleb and representatives from the water sector.