In 2025, 22,7 percent of total energy consumption in the Netherlands came from renewable sources. A year earlier, this was 20,2 percent. Total renewable energy consumption rose to 401 petajoules, eleven percent more than in 2024, while total energy consumption fell to 1.767 petajoules. This is according to preliminary figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Within the renewable mix, biomass remained the largest source.
More than a third of the renewable energy came from biomass, totaling 137 petajoules. One petajoule is equivalent to the energy required to heat approximately 26 homes. Biomass consumption was 13 percent higher than in 2024. This increase is mainly due to the increased use of biofuels for transport.
Biofuels drive biomass consumption
Biodiesel consumption amounted to 33 petajoules in 2025, eleven percent more than a year earlier. The biggest jump was in biokerosene, the sustainable aviation fuel, whose consumption rose to 14 petajoules. That is almost one and a half times as much as in 2024. Consumption of biopetrol remained virtually unchanged at 11 petajoules.
The other renewable sources showed a mixed picture. Solar power grew to 93 petajoules, nineteen percent more than a year earlier, mainly due to sunny weather and a further expansion of installed capacity. This meant that solar energy accounted for 23 percent of all renewable energy. Wind energy reached 121 petajoules, an increase of four percent. This growth was lower than in previous years because few new wind turbines were added in 2025. Heat pumps extracted 34 petajoules of heat from the outside air and the ground, accounting for nine percent of renewable energy.
The Netherlands climbs the European rankings
Of all EU member states, the share of renewable energy in the Netherlands grew the strongest over the past five years, by 127 percent. In 2024, the Netherlands ranked eighteenth within the EU-27 with 20,2 percent, compared to twenty-fifth place in 2019. Sweden tops the list with 62,8 percent, while Belgium brings up the rear with 14,3 percent. For 2030, the joint European target is at least 42,5 percent, with a separate target of 39 percent for the Netherlands.
There are significant differences between sectors. In the buildings sector, including homes and the service sector, 32 percent of energy consumption was renewable, whereas the target for 2030 is at least 49 percent. In industry, 8 percent of consumption was renewable, with a target of 19,7 percent. The figures for 2025 have been calculated for the first time according to the methodology of the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), whereas previous years fell under RED I and RED II. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) emphasizes that these are provisional figures.
Source: CBS
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