The Netherlands plans to double wind energy production to meet climate goals
The Dutch government has announced plans to significantly increase offshore wind farms in the next decade – a major milestone in the transition to sustainable energy.
Ramping up the energy transition
The Netherlands is planning to double its production of offshore wind energy by 2030. The Dutch government announced 5 areas for offshore wind farms in the Dutch part of the North Sea that will generate an extra 10.7 gigawatts of energy. That brings the country’s total planned capacity by 2030 to 21 GW – enough to power about 15 million homes.
The plan is part of the Netherlands’ ambition to have all the country’s energy supplied by renewable sources by 2050, with turbines out at sea contributing the largest proportion.
The North Sea is a good place to install wind turbines due to its relatively shallow waters, its favourable wind patterns and good access to ports and energy-consuming industries.
The energy transition in Amsterdam
As the Dutch capital, the home to the Port of Amsterdam and many large industries, Amsterdam has an ambitious set of environmental policies that envision a circular and sustainable future. The city aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% in 2030, and almost zero (95%) in 2050. Within the next 10 years, the city will only have emission-free transport by road and water.
The Port of Amsterdam is playing a key role in the energy transition. It is scaling up sustainable energy production and storage, is working to attract and facilitate the production of renewable fuels, and is developing the necessary infrastructure for the energy transition.
Companies with innovative new technologies that have the power to bring about sustainable solutions to energy consumption are backed by schemes such as the national FiT/CfD scheme SDE++, and significant tax breaks for investments in energy, climate and resource efficiency.