Dutch greenhouses to be heated by geothermal

Over time, geothermal energy could meet a large part of the heat demand in the Netherlands, especially in greenhouse horticulture, and make a substantial contribution to the energy transition, so the geothermal industry association Geothermie Nederland. In order to keep up the momentum, the association is conducting intensive consultations about removing bottlenecks in, among other things, granting subsidies, granting permits and legislation, so an article in local publication Nieuwe Oogst.

Geothermie Nederlands expects that geothermal energy can provide 25 percent of the Dutch heat requirement in the future and more than 50 percent for greenhouse horticulture. But a number of bottlenecks threaten to throw a spanner in the works, such as the four-year term by which a project with SDE++ subsidy must be operational at the latest.

Chairman Hans Bolscher explains that this is often not feasible due to delayed permit granting or the complexity of the heat demand. 'That could mean that a project, in which tons of money has already been invested, has to stop and that specialist companies move abroad because too few projects get off the ground.' That is why Geothermie Nederland proposes to extend the term for the SDE++ subsidy to six years.

The new drilling location of Greenhouse Geopower in the Koekoekspolder horticultural area in IJsselmuiden in Overijssel is a project that was in danger of coming to a standstill. Project director Radboud Vorage explains that it took two and a half years before approval for the extraction plan was finalized, while on paper it takes six months.

"[The project] continues to navigate in a field of tension with different interests", so Ewald Pelser, Director of Wayland Energy.

Because Bolscher and chairman Adri Bom-Lemstra of Greenhouse Horticulture Netherlands contacted the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) in good time, Vorage has prevented projects from losing their SDE decision unnecessarily. 'It's as if you don't get a cross in the Elfstedentocht, because you cross the finish line just after midnight. All the effort for nothing.'

Necessary permits

Last autumn, the necessary permits for the Koekoekspolder were issued just in time, so that drilling can start in April. Vorage understands the slow progress of the permit process, because geothermal energy is still a 'new branch of sport', for which there were no clear assessment criteria yet.

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Source: Think Geoenergy