For years, the Netherlands held a firm place on the European energy map as a natural gas country. Following the end of gas extraction in Groningen, attention is shifting to a new role for the existing gas system. No longer exclusively as a carrier of fossil gas, but increasingly as infrastructure for green gas from manure, waste, and organic residues.
The ambition is high. By 2030, green gas production must reach 2 billion cubic meters per year. Consequently, the discussion is not only about climate goals, but primarily about how existing infrastructure, logistics, and technical knowledge can be integrated into an energy system that is changing faster than ever.
In Europe, interest in this transition is visibly growing. Green gas is seen as an indispensable complement to electrification and hydrogen, especially for sectors where direct electrification is difficult. This is precisely why the Dutch development is of international interest. The Netherlands serves as a practical example of a country that is converting a mature gas system rather than writing it off.
A market between breakthrough and execution
In recent years, green gas production has grown out of the pioneering phase. There are more installations, and gas is being fed into the grid at more locations. Nevertheless, the gap to the 2030 target remains significant. This will make the coming years decisive.
Technical feasibility is no longer in question in many places. The real question is whether scaling up can proceed quickly enough. The greatest tension often lies not in the installation itself, but in the preconditions. Consider permits, grid connections, and the constant availability of suitable residual streams.
In this dynamic environment, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) plays a facilitating role behind the scenes. By unlocking knowledge and connecting market parties, RVO helps bridge the gap between ambitious government policy and the challenging reality faced by entrepreneurs.
Syngas as key to volume
The current market relies largely on the anaerobic digestion of manure and wet residual streams. At the same time, there is a growing realization that this technique alone is not sufficient to reach the 2 billion cubic meter mark. Anaerobic digestion has a natural limit, as the availability of certain biomass streams is limited.
To achieve the objectives, thermal gasification is also necessary. In this process, dry biomass, such as pruning waste or complex residual streams, is converted into syngas, also known as synthesis gas, at high temperatures. This gas is an important intermediate product that can subsequently be upgraded to green gas of natural gas quality.
The major advantage of this route is scalability. The amount of available dry biomass is much greater than the wet streams suitable for fermentation. Syngas is therefore not only a technical alternative, but above all the necessary engine for the required volume growth.
From subsidy market to more stable demand
A fundamental shift is that green gas is increasingly less approached as merely a subsidy market. Whereas schemes such as the SDE plus plus laid the foundation for projects for years, attention is now shifting to a system in which demand is structurally organized.
The upcoming blending obligation for energy suppliers plays a major role in this. This changes the investment landscape. If sales become more predictable, the financing of large gasification projects and syngas plants also improves.
This does not eliminate the uncertainty. It shifts from the question of whether a business case is feasible to questions regarding market structure, pace, and risk sharing.
Circular value and system integration
The Dutch approach is characterized by a strong focus on system integration. A green gas plant is no longer viewed as a standalone factory, but as a circular hub.
Captured biogenic CO2 can be supplied to the greenhouse horticulture sector, where it is used for plant growth. Residual products can be processed into high-quality biofertilizers. It is precisely in these connections that the additional value is created that is necessary for profitable operation.
The strength lies in intelligently connecting raw materials, energy production, and residual stream processing. Whether it concerns small-scale anaerobic digestion or large-scale gasification, the goal is a closed loop.
The power of a fine-meshed network
Underlying these developments is a factor that is often overlooked, namely the quality of the existing network. The Netherlands possesses one of the most finely meshed gas networks in the world. This network is technically mature and connected to international systems. As a result, transport logistics do not need to be reinvented.
The advantage lies in details such as pressure management and booster stations that pump gas from regional grids to the national high-pressure grid. Green gas only gains real significance at scale when it can be supplied reliably and under clear conditions.
The Dutch transition is therefore primarily a test of implementation. How well does an existing system adapt to new raw materials such as syngas and new market rules? The phase now beginning revolves around building, connecting, and accelerating. The sector has shown that it works technically. The next question is how quickly green gas will become a permanent pillar of the new energy system.
More information
This article was also published in Rynek Biogazu i Biometanu, the May 2026 issue of Biomass Magazine.
The report Creating value in the biobased economy 2025 offers greater insight into the Dutch strategy and technological solutions for the international biobased economy. The report addresses, among other things, reliable biomass supply chains, the scaling up of biofuels, and the development of biobased materials.
Photo: René Notenbomer, Adobestock. Wood chips as biomass fuel held by an employee in a renewable energy plant.
