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Netherlands reports 10% annual growth of geothermal use 2020

Netherlands reports 10% annual growth of geothermal use 2020 Infographic on geothermal production 2020 (source: Geothermie Nederland)
Alexander Richter 1 Apr 2021

Production of heat by geothermal energy has increased by 10% in 2020 compared to the previous year, as reported by Geothermie Nederland.

The use of geothermal energy increased by 10 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, as reported by the Dutch geothermal association Geothermie Nederlands.

6.2 PJ (PetaJoule) heat was produced in 2020. This increase is due to the growth in production of the doublets that went into operation in 2019 and ran a full year for the first time in 2020. The new doublets are more robust and have a larger capacity. The application of geothermal energy in the Netherlands in 2020 resulted in a saving of 176 million cubic m of natural gas. This equates to the use of natural gas in 117,500 homes and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 333,000 tons.

Potential geothermal energy enormous: 40 projects in the pipeline

Geothermal energy is currently mainly used in greenhouse horticulture. There is great interest in geothermal energy as a sustainable energy source for heating homes and industry. It is important here that the policy is more in line with suitable incentives, an effective licensing system and that heat networks become available. In 2021, 3 new doublets will go into production. There are also about 40 projects in the starting blocks. It is essential for the energy transition that these projects will also be realized over the next five years.

Ongoing work at exploring for geothermal energy resources of the SCAN project, Netherlands (source: EBN)

Appropriate incentives necessary

Much is expected from geothermal energy for the heat transition in the built environment. In order to make upscaling in greenhouse horticulture and the built environment successful, the geothermal sector calls on the formateur to include three actions in the coalition agreement that are essential, not only for geothermal energy, but especially for the heat transition and the Climate Agreement:

  • Set up an incentive scheme that focuses specifically on sustainable heat and the use of heat networks: an SDE ++ for the heat transition.
  • Start an acceleration program now for the first group of 20 projects that are ready. These are necessary to make a start with the upscaling, especially to the built environment.
  • Review the system of tax incentives for the energy transition, in particular the Sustainable Energy Storage (ODE). In practice, the ODE leads to higher prices for sustainable heat and has unintended side effects that have an inhibiting effect on the energy transition.

Production figures of Geothermie Nederland

The production figures for 2020 have been collected by Geothermie Nederland, the branch organization for geothermal energy.

For more information about the association, see the factsheet about Geothermal Energy in the Netherlands or www.allesoveraardwarmte.nl for more information about geothermal energy (attention all in Dutch).

We have been reporting on the continuing development of geothermal energy in the Netherlands.

See the infographic for the production figures.

Source: Geothermie Nederland