ENB Pub Note: Focusing on Fishing rather than offshore wind is a good thing. The country is realizing that offshore wind is crippling their fishing industry and not providing the electrical generation that was promised.
Here is the energy breakout for the Dutch country.
-
Renewables: 53% of total electricity production (32.3 billion kWh)
-
Wind: 28.7% (17.4 billion kWh), with offshore wind contributing over two-thirds of the increase due to new farms like Hollandse Kust Zuid and Noord. Total wind capacity reached 11 GW in 2023, with 4.7 GW offshore by late 2023.
-
Solar: 19.3% (11.7 billion kWh), driven by a capacity increase to ~22 GW in 2023, despite fewer sunshine hours in early 2024. Solar growth includes both rooftop and utility-scale projects, with plans for offshore solar farms.
-
Biomass: ~4.9% (3 billion kWh, estimated), down 16% from 2023 due to reduced co-firing in coal plants. Biomass remains a complementary source but is limited by sustainable resource availability.
-
Hydropower: 0.1% (0.06 billion kWh), negligible due to the Netherlands’ flat terrain and limited river systems.
-
-
Fossil Fuels: 46.2% (28 billion kWh)
-
Natural Gas: 35.2% (21.3 billion kWh), down from 38% in 2023. Gas remains the largest single source, supported by domestic production and two LNG terminals, but output dropped due to cheaper renewables and lower gas prices. The Netherlands aims to phase out gas from its energy mix by 2050.
-
Coal: 6.4% (3.9 billion kWh), significantly reduced from 8.5% in 2023. Coal is being phased out, with a ban on coal-fired generation by 2030, and plants like Amercentrale Unit 9 and Hemweg 8 set to close or convert by 2024.
-
Oil and Other Fossil Fuels: ~1.2% (1.49 billion kWh), a minor contributor, primarily used in niche applications.
-
-
Nuclear: 2.8% (4.2 billion kWh annually, based on 2022 data). The Borssele nuclear plant, the only operational reactor, provides a small but stable contribution. Plans for two new reactors by 2035 (each 1000–1650 MWe) aim to increase nuclear’s role to 9–13% of electricity production, though the current share remains low.
-
Total Production: 60.5 billion kWh in the first half of 2024, up 1% from 2023, with consumption at 55.8 billion kWh (5% increase). The Netherlands exported 2.3 billion kWh net, mainly to Belgium and Germany, though exports fell 10% due to competition from French nuclear and hydropower.
-
Renewable Growth: Renewables surpassed fossil fuels for the first time in 2024, driven by a 2.0 GW increase in wind capacity (1.4 GW offshore, 0.6 GW onshore) and solar capacity growth of 4.3 GW in 2023. The government targets 70% renewable electricity by 2030, with 21 GW of offshore wind planned.
-
Fossil Fuel Decline: Fossil fuel production dropped 11% from 2023, with coal and gas plants becoming less competitive due to cheaper renewables and lower carbon emission prices. The coal phase-out and gas reduction align with a 55–60% CO2 emissions cut by 2030 (from 1990 levels).
-
Grid Challenges: Rapid renewable growth has caused grid congestion, with insufficient capacity to handle decentralized solar and wind inputs. Gasunie plans €12 billion ($13 billion) in grid investments by 2030 to address this and support hydrogen production.
-
Policy and Targets: The 2019 Climate Agreement and 2024 policies aim for a climate-neutral electricity sector by 2035, with measures like subsidies for solar, hydrogen infrastructure, and carbon capture. Nuclear expansion and green hydrogen are prioritized to complement intermittent renewables.
-
Data for 2024 is based on the first half, with full-year estimates derived from trends and 2023 figures. Exact percentages may vary slightly due to seasonal fluctuations.
-
The Netherlands’ energy transition is constrained by its historical reliance on gas (Europe’s second-largest producer) and limited land for onshore renewables, pushing focus to offshore wind and solar.
-
Public sentiment on X highlights rapid renewable growth (e.g., 42% wind, solar, and hydro in 2023) but also concerns about grid reliability and fossil fuel phase-out pace.
The Dutch government has reduced its offshore wind targets and removed one of the zones set for offshore wind development to give more room to the fishing sector.
The authorities decided to amend their North Sea Programme and, with it, reduce the offshore wind energy target from 50GW to 21GW.
This also comes with the removal of the Lagelander wind energy area, located west of Texel and Vlieland, from future offshore wind plans due to its great value for fishing. As a result, the area is no longer considered a wind energy area.
The removal of the wind energy area opens a zone between 1,520 to 1,620 sq km free of wind turbines. According to the amended plan, this will preserve a catchment area for the Norwegian lobster known as langoustine and allow the current fishing activities in this area to continue.
The previous target of 50GW of wind energy has been postponed to the next North Sea Programme in 2028.
We give you energy news and help invest in energy projects too, click here to learn more
