In 2024, for the first time, more than half of all electricity generated in the Netherlands came from renewable sources such as wind, sun and biomass. Despite this milestone, a significant portion of green power was lost due to a lack of storage and network capacity.
According to annual figures from Energieopwek.nl 54% of the electricity in the Netherlands in 2024 was generated sustainably with biomass, wind and solar energy. This is an increase of 11% compared to the previous year, when the share was exactly 50%. Solar energy and wind energy in particular made a large contribution, with an increase of 15% and 14% respectively.
Contributions from renewable sources
Renewable electricity generation in 2024 came from four main categories:
- Solar panels: 20,5% of total electricity production.
- Onshore wind: 14,9%.
- Offshore wind: 12,6%.
- Biomass: 6,1%. The growth in biomass generation (9%) is mainly due to more co-firing in coal-fired power stations and the use of biofuels.
Power loss due to surpluses
The share of green energy could have been even higher if surpluses had been used better. At times when the sun was shining and the wind was blowing hard, windmills and solar panels had to be switched off due to a lack of storage capacity and congestion on the power grid. In total, 3 terawatt hours of sustainable electricity were lost, enough to supply the Netherlands with electricity for ten days.
“With this, the Netherlands has let clean energy run away, while fossil power stations had to step in later to meet the demand,” emphasizes Energieopwek.nl. If the surpluses had been stored, for example as hydrogen, green energy could have reached 56,5% of the production.
Sustainable peaks and fossil declines
Although April was a peak month with a record 68% green power, October and November saw a decline. Due to little sun and wind, the share of green power dropped to just 38% in November, forcing coal-fired power stations to run at full capacity. This also caused price fluctuations: at peak times, a kilowatt hour of electricity cost as much as €1,21.
Towards a green future
Despite the challenges, 2024 marks a turning point in the energy transition. With plans to increase the share of renewable electricity to 2030% by 85, continued investment in storage technologies such as batteries and hydrogen is crucial. These solutions can help to capture renewable peaks and prevent waste, while fossil fuels are increasingly being phased out.
