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Energy system

Facts & Figures Natural Gas

Total gross gas consumption

Gross natural gas consumption 2021 (in PJ) – Source: CBS

The figure above shows the applications for which gas is used in the Netherlands. This comprises both the final consumption among end consumers such as industries and households, and gas used in the generation of electricity and non-energy carriers.

The total gross gas consumption on the Netherlands was 917.3 PJ in 2021. The biggest consumers of gas were households, with consumption accounting for approximately a third of the total (301 PJ). The second main use of gas was for energy production: approximately 20% of the gas was converted into other forms of energy, such as electricity. This amounted to 184 PJ. Industrial gas consumption was a close third, accounting for 19% (173PJ) of the gross gas consumption. The service sector was responsible for another 12% of consumption. An equivalent portion of the gas was used for the production of non-energy goods. Both applications used 111 PJ of gas each. Finally, the remaining 4% of the gas was used in agriculture and a minute volume was used as fuel for transport.

Gas extraction, import and export

Gas import, export, and extraction (in mln m3) – Source: CBS

For many years, the Netherlands was an important producer of gas, thanks to reserves in the North Sea and Groningen. However, it was decided to phase out gas extraction starting in 2013. The chart above shows the historical trends in gas extraction, import and export.

It shows that Dutch gas extraction until 2013 fluctuated between 70-90 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Gas exports grew steadily from approximately 30 billion cubic meters in 1990 to almost 60 billion in 2013. Imports were less than 10 billion cubic meters until 1999, but increased to approximately 30 billion between 2000 and 2013.

After 2013, the Netherlands chose to reduce gas production. As a result, production dropped from approximately 80 billion to 20 billion cubic meters in less than 10 years’ time. Exports fell to approximately 40 billion in 2022, and the imports rose exponentially between 2013 and 2018, before once again slightly tapering off over the last five years.

Gas import and export per country

Dutch gas imports and exports by country 2022 (in MLN M3) – Source: CBS

The Netherlands has interconnection points with five other countries: Norway, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. This means that all gas flows to and from the Netherlands move along these interconnection points. The chart above shows the Dutch import and export of gas.

As can be seen, Germany is the only country to which the Netherlands exports more gas than it imports. Dutch gas exports to Germany amount to more than 30 billion cubic meters, while the imports only account for 6 billion cubic meters. Belgium is the second largest consumer of Dutch gas: Dutch exports to Belgium amount to almost 8 billion cubic meters. However, Dutch imports from Belgium, nearly 15 billion cubic meters, exceed exports. Similarly, the Netherlands imports 13 billion cubic meters of gas from Norway. 4.5 billion from the United Kingdom, and 1 billion from Denmark. These three countries hardly buy any gas from the Netherlands.

Facts & Figures Electricity

Electricity production

Electricity generation by energy source (in GWh) – Source: CBS

Electricity generation by energy source 2022 (in %) – Source: CBS

In 2021, electricity was the third largest energy carrier in the Netherlands, with an electricity consumption of 385.8 PJ. Around 33% of this total can be considered renewable electricity. In 2022, this share skyrocketed to 40%. The chart above shows which energy sources are used in the net production of electricity. ‘Net’ production refers to the production minus the energy sector’s own usage. This chart shows only the domestic production of electricity – it does not include the electricity that is imported into the Netherlands.

Coal and natural gas have long been the frontrunners in the production of electricity. However, the use of coal-fired power plants has sharply declined over the years. Wind and solar have now overtaken coal in electricity production. These two sources will continue to grow in the coming years

Natural gas remains the main source of electricity production. In fact, up until 2020 the use of natural gas in electricity production had been increasing. Since then, we have instead witnessed a sharp decline in its use for electricity production.

Nowadays, natural gas is still the largest contributor to electricity production, with 40% of electricity coming from gas. Nonetheless, renewables like solar power, wind power and biomass have become strong competitors. Together, they also account for 40% of the production of electricity. 18% of this is attributed to wind power, 15% comes from solar energy and 7% from biomass. Coal and oil combined make up 15% of electricity production and 3% of electricity is generated by nuclear power plants.

In the figure, the production of electricity does not fully correspond to the final consumption of electricity. This is because neither the import and export of electricity nor the energy lost during transport have been taken into account.

Installed capacity of wind and solar energy

Installed capacity of wind and solar power (in MW) – Source: CBS

Wind and solar energy are essential for achieving a clean energy transition. The Dutch countryside and the sea are dotted with wind turbines and solar panels – the chart above shows the installed capacity of wind and solar energy. Installed capacity refers to the maximum volume of energy that can be generated by all turbines or solar panels under normal circumstances.

As can be seen, the installed capacity of solar energy has skyrocketed in recent years, increasing almost tenfold from around 2000 GW in 2015 to approximately 19,000 GW in 2022. In contrast the installed capacity of wind power has increased consistently between the early 2000s and 2016. The increase levelled off before it shot from approximately 4000 GW to almost 9000 GW between 2019 and 2022.

Although solar energy capacity is considerably higher than that of wind power, this does not automatically mean the generation of solar energy is always higher than that of wind power.

Real-time electricity production from wind and solar energy

Real-time electricity generation from wind and solar power – Source: Energieopwek.nl

The chart above shows the real-time generation of electricity from wind and solar energy in the last 10 days, including what has been generated up to this moment in the day. The data is updated every hour. For more detailed information on this date, please visit our partners at www.energieopwek.nl.

Please note that wind power includes both offshore and onshore wind.

Real-time Generation of Renewable Electricity

Real-time renewable electricity generation – Source: Energieopwek.nl

This chart shows the real-time generation of renewable electricity in the last 48 hours. The data is updated every hour. To dove deeper into this data, visit our partners at www.energieopwek.nl.

The chart shows which portion of the electricity is currently being generated by wind power, solar power, biomass, or other sources. Biomass includes waste plants, biogas, bio-oil, biomass boilers, co-firing and wood furnaces. In contrast, other sources include heat pumps, geothermal, and solar thermal.