9th opening of geothermal heat guarantee scheme opened in the Netherlands

The ninth opening of the Dutch geothermal heat guarantee scheme has been opened. The scheme partly covers the geological risks of failed drilling in a geothermal heat project.  The relevant manual and websites have been updated and change forms are easier to find, see link below.

Cover risks for geothermal energy 2020

Does your company invest in a geothermal heat project? With Cover risks for geothermal heat (RNES Geothermal Heat) you insure yourself against the financial risks of failed drilling. Does your well have a disappointing result? Then you will be reimbursed. You pay a premium in advance for this.

With this scheme, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate promote geothermal energy as a sustainable energy source.

No substantive changes in 2020

On April 1, 2020, the Covering Geothermal Heat (RNES Geothermal) scheme will be open for the 9th time. There are no substantive differences with the 7th opening in 2018 and 8th opening in 2019. All application forms are the same.

Budget

The budget for the scheme was published in the Government Gazette on 17 December 2019. The amount available for the 9th opening is EUR 66.6 million (ca USD 73 million).

Budget distribution over the projects

• Regular project, total available amount EUR 47.9 million, EUR 11.05 million (maximum subsidy per project)
• Deep project, total available amount EUR 18.7 million, EUR 18.7 million(maximum subsidy per project)

Requirements

Your project must meet the conditions. To be eligible for the RNES scheme you need:

• a geological survey of the site by an ISO 9001 certified company (this survey makes clear what capacity you think you can extract from the soil);
• an exploration or production license;
• a detailed financing plan (conditional financing with support from this scheme as a condition is also possible).

You must be able to realize the geothermal project in a short time. The following requirements are therefore imposed on the planning:

• The drilling project must start within a year of our approval of the application;
• After the geothermal drilling has started, the project must be completed within one year;
• The geothermal project must lead to the application of geothermal energy in the Netherlands within 2 years.

More information about restrictions, eligible costs, etc., can be found in the manual.

To request

You can apply for a subsidy from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 before 17:00 via Mijn.rvo.nl.

An explanation of the application procedure can be found in the Geothermal Heat Guide 2020. You can find it as a download on this page. An application consists of an application form and the following attachments:

• a project plan,
• a geological survey
• a budget

Consultation

Would you like to have an interview with an advisor in preparation for your application? Send your request using the contact form, stating: ‘Request consultation RNES geothermal energy’. An advisor will contact you for an appointment.

Geological survey aids

RVO collaborates with TNO to assess the geological survey. On the TNO NL Oil and Gas Portal you will find the tools to help you with this research. There are also directions for the well tests you should perform after your drilling.

Manual – Handleiding risicos dekken voor aardwarmte 2020 – PDF document | 826,11 KB

Source: RVO