2024 marked the first time that half of the electricity in the Netherlands was generated from renewable sources such as solar, wind and biomass, according to the latest figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Production from fossil sources continued to decline, while the Netherlands exported more electricity than it imported for the third consecutive year.
Electricity production from renewable energy sources increased by 10 percent to 61 billion kWh, while generation from fossil fuels decreased by 4 percent. Solar and wind energy were the main contributors to the growth: electricity production from solar energy increased by 11 percent to 22 billion kWh, partly due to a 14 percent increase in installed capacity. Wind energy increased by 13 percent, mainly due to a 32 percent increase in offshore production. In the months of May to August, solar energy accounted for a third of total electricity production, while wind energy peaked mainly in the winter months.
The decrease in fossil electricity production by 2.5 billion kWh was mainly due to the growth of renewable energy. Coal generation decreased by 5 percent, and production from natural gas decreased by 4 percent. At the same time, electricity imports increased by 2 percent, mainly from Germany and Norway, while exports to Germany and the United Kingdom decreased.
