Energy in the Netherlands-casestudy Flashcards
Basic Facts on The Netherlands
The Netherlands is a small country in western Europe that borders the North Sea. It is very flat and more than a quarter of the land lies below sea level.
The Netherlands is highly developed and densely populated, with 488 people per km². There is a high demand for energy-in 2013, annual energy usage was 4600 kg of oil equivalent per capita.
The Netherlands relies mostly on Fossil Fuels
Energy comes from a mix of sources, but over 90% is from fossil fuels.
Compared to other European countries, the Netherlands gets very little of its energy from renewable sources - less than 6% is renewable, which mainly comes from biofuels and wind power.
In 2009, EU countries agreed to increase the share of their energy coming from renewable sources by 2020. The Netherlands’ target is 14.5% - however, it currently looks unlikely to meet that goal.
Climate-wind turbines
The prevailing wind blows southwesterly from the North Sea. Coastal areas are particularly windy, but the small size and high population density of the country means there is little land available for onshore wind farms.
However, offshore wind farms have been built in the North Sea. E.g. in May 2017, Gemini Offshore Wind Park was opened this is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world. It is situated 85 km off the coast in a location that experiences some of the highest and most constant wind speeds in the North Sea. The new wind farm has led to a significant drop in the price of wind energy.
Climate-wind turbines
The prevailing wind blows southwesterly from the North Sea. Coastal areas are particularly windy, but the small size and high population density of the country means there is little land available for onshore wind farms.
However, offshore wind farms have been built in the North Sea. E.g. in May 2017, Gemini Offshore Wind Park was opened this is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world. It is situated 85 km off the coast in a location that experiences some of the highest and most constant wind speeds in the North Sea. The new wind farm has led to a significant drop in the price of wind energy.
Climate-Solar panels
On average, the sun shines for 30-40% of each day- this means that the Netherlands can generate solar power, but not as much as sunnier locations. Solar power currently contributes very little to energy supply, but it is increasing-e.g. in 2017, a new solar farm opened on the island of Ameland that can power 1500 homes.
Geology- Natural gas
The Netherlands has large natural gas reserves and over 250 onshore and offshore gas fields. E.g. the Groningen gas field in the north of the Netherlands is the largest natural gas field in Europe.
This means gas is readily available - almost every household is connected to the gas grid. However, gas is relatively expensive (€0.75 per m³ in 2015, compared to the EU average of €0.69) - this is mostly because taxes on gas are high.
Geology- Oil reserves
The Netherlands also has onshore and offshore oil reserves. However, oil production declined by around two-thirds between 1986 and 2015. The price of oil is generally increasing.
The geology of the Netherlands also allows coal formation - the last coal mines closed in 1974, but there are measured and indicated reserves in the southeast and east of the country.
Drainage- Hydroelectric power
There are lots of rivers in the Netherlands, but few of them have been dammed to produce hydroelectric power ( HEP)-HEP contributes less than 0.1% of the energy generated.
This is partly because the flat topography means rivers flow slowly, so they don’t have much energy.
Drainage- Reservoirs
Reservoirs created by damming rivers would flood large amounts of agricultural and residential land. This would reduce income from agriculture and require compensation payments to residents, which would add to the overall cost of the energy generated.
Industry(45%)
Industry is the largest energy consumer. There is lots of industry in the Netherlands because it is very accessible it is located on the coast, several major waterways flow through the country, and the flat landscape is good for transport infrastructure. Industries that use bulky products, e.g. steel and iron, oil and petrochemicals, are common, as it’s easy to transport these materials to and from the Netherlands.
Transport(19%)
Transport consumes relatively little energy. The flat terrain makes cycling popular in the Netherlands -25% of commuting is by bicycle. All electric trains now run off wind power, and railway companies are working on ways to reduce energy demand.
Residential(17%)
The residential sector demand is affected by climate and latitude - low temperatures and short days in winter mean that heating and lighting are necessary. However, demand is reduced by solar power around 400 000 homes have solar panels to fulfil part or all of their energy demand.
Reducing reliance on gas
Reducing reliance on gas gas reserves will eventually run out, and the Netherlands is likely to be a net importer of gas by 2025. Since 2013, the Dutch government has been reducing gas production by setting caps on the amount that can be extracted-e.g. the cap was set at 24 billion m³ for 2016 for the Groningen gas field.
Increasing renewable energy
Increasing renewable energy–as well as increasing offshore wind power, the Netherlands may also increase the amount of energy it gets from other renewable sources. For example, the government set up the SDE+ scheme to give grants to organisations that produce renewable energy. The Netherlands could also buy surplus energy from solar farms in Spain or hydropower plants in Norway as part of the European Emissions Trading Scheme.
Reducing coal use
Reducing coal use- five coal-fired power stations were closed in 2015, and in 2016 the Dutch parliament voted to close all remaining coal-fired plants.
