The importance of renewable energy resources in the long-term energy strategy of The Netherlands

Rob Boerée

Director National Programms

Content

• Energy Policy in the Netherlands

• Government instruments

• Road map for biogas

• Conclusions

Renewable energy: The Dutch challenge

2013 = 4,5% EU Directive 2020 = 14%

Towards an energy agreement for sustainable growth

Steps

•House’s motion “National Energy Transition Agreement”

•Social wishes i.e. “New energy for the Netherlands”

•Government’s request for advice Social Economic Council (SER)

•SER is offering itself as a platform for arriving at a National Energy Agreement for sustainable growth

Energy agreement for Sustainable growth

WHY?

•Netherlands is lagging behind: 4.5% renewables

•No consistent long term policy: “zwabberbeleid”

• Investors are hesitating

•New technologies => decentralisation of energy production => bottom up movements

•EU-commitments:

•14% renewables in 2020

•Energy Efficiency Directive: 1.5% annualy

•New global growth markets: CleanTech

Energy agreement for Sustainable growth 47 organisations participated

Energy agreement for Sustainable growth

Aims:

•Energy saving 1.5% annually

•Renewable energy production to 14% in 2020

•and a further increase to 16% in 2023

•15,000 jobs new jobs

•17% Reduction of CO2-emissions in transport sector (1990-2030)

•Increase economic value of Dutch CleanTech sector: factor 4 in 2020

Saving energy, annual 1.5 %

2300 PJ

2083 PJ

2183 PJ

Final energy consumption

2020 existing policy + energy agreement

2010 situation

2020 existing policy

Scaling up renewable energy generation Backbone to 14% 2020

Wind On shore

Wind Off shore

2200 MW

1000 MW

7 PJ

+3800 MW

6000 MW

Starting point 2013

+ From 2013-2020

+18 PJ Biomass co-firing

2000 MW

+1000 MW

25PJ

186 PJ from other sources

Steering Group Other renewable energy sources

• to develop road maps for renewable energy generation (end 2014)

Prognostications for

renewable energy mix 2023

Energy agreement for Sustainable growth

Ten basic components

•Energy savings

•Scaling up of renewable energy generation

•Decentralized energy generation

•Energy transmission network

•EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)

•Energy from fossil fuels

•Mobility and transport

•Employment opportunities

•Energy innovation an energy export

•Funding programme

Government instruments for renewable energy

• Sustainable Energy Incentive Scheme Plus (SDE+)

• Energy investment allowance (EIA)

• The Green Funds scheme, ‘green certificates’

• Green funds

• Intervention programme “integrated stimulation of renewable energy”

• State coordination scheme

• Green deals

Sustainable Energy Scheme (SDE+)

• Covering the unprofitable gap of projects

• Over a period of 12 or 15 (PV) years. Long term financial security

• Phasing in, starting with the most cost effective technologies

• SDE+ is financed by a surcharge on energy bills

• Budget in 2014 is 3,5 billion euro.

Biogas sector has potential to grow

2020

•1,2 billion m3 of biogas

•equals 20 PJ

•7% of the 2020 target for

renewable energy

To summarize

• Much to do

• Dutch approach – a national energy agreement that unites divergent interests

• Public and private parties are each responsible for implementing the steps set out

• Important step towards a carbon free economy

• Biogas has a large potential to contribute to renewable energy targets

To Quote Herman Pleij, professor of historical letters from his book The Well-being of Holland

''The Netherlands owes its existence to the democracy of dry feet. We need each other literally in order not to

drown and subsequently have to rely on other countries for the means to stay alive.''