Renewable electricity; production and capacity

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Renewable electricity; production and capacity
Energy sources / techniques Periods Production of electricity Gross production with normalisation (mln kWh) Production of electricity Production without normalisation Gross production of electricity (mln kWh) Production of electricity Production without normalisation Net production of electricity (mln kWh) Production of electricity relative Gross production with normalisation (in % of use) Production of electricity relative Production without normalisation Gross production of electricity (in % of use) Production of electricity relative Production without normalisation Net production of electricity (in % of use) Installed installations Installations installed end of year (number) Installed installations Electrical capacity end of year (megawatt)
Total renewable energy sources 2015 13,152 13,685 13,009 11.04 11.49 11.40 . .
Total renewable energy sources 2016 15,073 14,777 14,103 12.55 12.31 12.16 . .
Total renewable energy sources 2017 16,673 17,437 16,764 13.81 14.44 14.33 . .
Total renewable energy sources 2018 18,533 18,892 18,242 15.18 15.47 15.37 . .
Hydropower 2015 99 93 93 0.08 0.08 0.08 7 37
Hydropower 2016 98 100 100 0.08 0.08 0.09 7 37
Hydropower 2017 94 61 61 0.08 0.05 0.05 7 37
Hydropower 2018 94 72 72 0.08 0.06 0.06 7 37
Wind energy, total 2015 6,917 7,550 7,550 5.81 6.34 6.61 2,171 3,391
Wind energy, total 2016 8,364 8,170 8,170 6.97 6.80 7.05 2,331 4,257
Wind energy, total 2017 9,642 10,569 10,569 7.98 8.75 9.04 2,270 4,202
Wind energy, total 2018 10,030 10,549 10,548 8.22 8.64 8.89 2,318 4,393
Onshore wind energy 2015 5,882 6,420 6,420 4.94 5.39 5.62 2,032 3,034
Onshore wind energy 2016 6,041 5,901 5,901 5.03 4.91 5.09 2,042 3,300
Onshore wind energy 2017 6,267 6,869 6,869 5.19 5.69 5.87 1,981 3,245
Onshore wind energy 2018 6,578 6,918 6,918 5.39 5.67 5.83 2,029 3,436
Offshore wind energy 2015 1,035 1,130 1,130 0.87 0.95 0.99 139 357
Offshore wind energy 2016 2,323 2,269 2,269 1.93 1.89 1.96 289 957
Offshore wind energy 2017 3,375 3,700 3,700 2.80 3.06 3.16 289 957
Offshore wind energy 2018 3,452 3,630 3,630 2.83 2.97 3.06 289 957
Solar photovoltaic 2015 1,109 1,109 1,109 0.93 0.93 0.97 . 1,526
Solar photovoltaic 2016 1,602 1,602 1,602 1.33 1.33 1.38 . 2,135
Solar photovoltaic 2017 2,208 2,208 2,208 1.83 1.83 1.89 . 2,911
Solar photovoltaic 2018 3,709 3,709 3,709 3.04 3.04 3.13 . 4,608
Total biomass 2015 5,028 4,934 4,258 4.22 4.14 3.73 . .
Total biomass 2016 5,010 4,905 4,231 4.17 4.08 3.65 . .
Total biomass 2017 4,729 4,599 3,926 3.92 3.81 3.36 . .
Total biomass 2018 4,700 4,561 3,912 3.85 3.74 3.30 . .
Municipal waste; renewable fraction 2015 1,997 1,997 1,550 1.68 1.68 1.36 12 649
Municipal waste; renewable fraction 2016 2,005 2,005 1,569 1.67 1.67 1.35 12 649
Municipal waste; renewable fraction 2017 1,904 1,904 1,478 1.58 1.58 1.26 12 649
Municipal waste; renewable fraction 2018 2,172 2,172 1,753 1.78 1.78 1.48 12 800
Co-firing of biomass in electr. plants 2015 514 514 485 0.43 0.43 0.43 . .
Co-firing of biomass in electr. plants 2016 442 442 419 0.37 0.37 0.36 . .
Co-firing of biomass in electr. plants 2017 530 530 503 0.44 0.44 0.43 . .
Co-firing of biomass in electr. plants 2018 654 654 608 0.54 0.54 0.51 . .
Biomass boilers companies, CHP 2015 1,388 1,388 1,219 1.16 1.16 1.07 19 .
Biomass boilers companies, CHP 2016 1,465 1,465 1,281 1.22 1.22 1.11 18 .
Biomass boilers companies, CHP 2017 1,242 1,242 1,050 1.03 1.03 0.90 19 .
Biomass boilers companies, CHP 2018 849 849 692 0.70 0.70 0.58 21 .
Total biogas 2015 1,130 1,036 1,005 0.95 0.87 0.88 . 239
Total biogas 2016 1,098 993 961 0.91 0.83 0.83 . 221
Total biogas 2017 1,053 923 896 0.87 0.76 0.77 . 221
Total biogas 2018 1,026 887 860 0.84 0.73 0.72 . 229
Biogas from landfills 2015 50 43 42 0.04 0.04 0.04 . 20
Biogas from landfills 2016 40 34 33 0.03 0.03 0.03 . 21
Biogas from landfills 2017 36 30 29 0.03 0.02 0.02 . 21
Biogas from landfills 2018 29 23 21 0.02 0.02 0.02 . 19
Biogas from sewage water purification 2015 206 206 200 0.17 0.17 0.18 . 43
Biogas from sewage water purification 2016 208 208 200 0.17 0.17 0.17 . 38
Biogas from sewage water purification 2017 196 196 190 0.16 0.16 0.16 . 38
Biogas from sewage water purification 2018 198 195 189 0.16 0.16 0.16 . 44
Biogas, co-digestion of manure 2015 553 553 537 0.46 0.46 0.47 97 133
Biogas, co-digestion of manure 2016 524 524 508 0.44 0.44 0.44 95 119
Biogas, co-digestion of manure 2017 509 509 494 0.42 0.42 0.42 95 119
Biogas, co-digestion of manure 2018 520 493 479 0.43 0.40 0.40 91 123
Other biogas 2015 320 233 226 0.27 0.20 0.20 . 43
Other biogas 2016 326 227 219 0.27 0.19 0.19 . 43
Other biogas 2017 312 189 183 0.26 0.16 0.16 . 43
Other biogas 2018 279 175 170 0.23 0.14 0.14 . 41
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains information about the Dutch production of renewable electricity, the number of installations used and the installed capacity of these installations. During production, a distinction is made between normalised gross production and non-standard gross and net production without normalisation.

Production of electricity is shown in million kilowatt hours and as a percentage of total electricity consumption in the Netherlands. The production of renewable electricity is compared with total electricity consumption and not against total electricity production. This choice is due to European conventions.

The data is broken down according to the type of energy source and the technique used to obtain the electricity. A distinction is made between four main categories: hydro power, wind energy, solar power and biomass.

Data available from: 1990.

Status of the figures:
This table contains definite figures until 2022, revised provisional figures for 2023.

Changes as of November 2024:
Figures for 2021- 2023 have been adjusted. 2022 is now definitive, 2023 stays revised provisional.Because of new insights for windmills regarding own electricity use and capacity, figures on 2021 have been revised.
The capacity of solar photovoltaic from 2022 onwards is equal tot the system capacity of the installation. This means the maximal capacity with respect to the panel or the inverter.


Changes as of June 7th 2024:
Revised provisional figures of 2023 have been added.

Changes as of March 7th 2024:
Provisional figures of 2023 have been added. The gross electricity production with normalisation (according to RED II) is not yet known for some forms of biomass for 2023. When this applies a "." is displayed.
RED II refers to the EU renewable energy directive which came into force in 2021.

Changes as of November 14th 2023:
Figures of 2021 and 2022 have been updated. The status for figures of 2021 is now definite and the status for figures of 2022 is revised provisional.
Figures of 2015-2020 have been revised in other tables on electricity. This revision has not been implemented in this table, as a result of which inconsitensies of (max) 80 GWh on a yearly basis are possible between the figures for biomass.

When will new figures be published?
Provisional figures on electricity output for the previous year are published each year in February. Revised provisional figures on electricity output for the previous year are published each year in June. Definite figures on electricity output for the previous year are published each year in December.

Description topics

Production of electricity
Domestic production of renewable electricity in millions of kilowatt hours.
Gross production with normalisation
Gross production of renewable electricity corrected for weather conditions and including the indirect production from green gas. As of reporting year 2021, electricity production from solid and gaseous biomass used in installations above a specific power threshold will only be taken into account if the biomass used meets the new sustainability criteria as stated in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).

Gross production is the production including own use. Own use is the electricity that is used in electricity output.

The normalised production has been calculated according to definitions from the EU Renewable Energy Directive. The binding targets from this guideline play an important role in Dutch energy policy. The production without normalisation is the actual physical production according to definitions from the standard national and international energy statistics.

There are three differences between the normalised figures and the figures without normalisation:
1. Correction for accidental weather conditions.
2. Whether or not to include production of electricity from green gas.
3. Wheter or not to include biomass that is not compliant according to RED II.

Further explanation for 1: The normalised production in a given year is calculated as the capacity in the relevant year times the average production per unit capacity in the past five years (for wind energy) or fifteen years (for hydro-power). The production of solar power is in principle also dependent on the weather. In the EU Directive, however, it has been agreed not to apply normalisation for solar power.
Further explanation for 2: Green gas is biogas that has been upgraded to natural gas quality and injected into the natural gas network. A (small) part of the production of electricity from natural gas can thus be allocated to green gas. This allocation has been included in the normalised production of electricity; this allocation is not taken into account in production of electricity without normalisation.
Further explanation for 3: As of reporting year 2021, electricity production from solid and gaseous biomass used in installations above a specific power threshold will only be taken into account if the biomass used meets the new sustainability criteria as stated in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).
Production without normalisation
Production of renewable electricity-, not corrected for weather conditions and excluding the indirect production from green gas.

Green gas is biogas that has been upgraded to natural gas quality and injected into the natural gas network. A (small) part of the production of electricity from natural gas can thus be allocated to green gas. This allocation has been included in the normalised production of electricity; this allocation is not taken into account in production of electricity without normalisation.
Gross production of electricity
Gross production of electricity is the production including own use.

Own use is the electricity that is used in electricity output.
Net production of electricity
Net production of electricity is the production excluding own use.

Own use is the electricity that is used in electricity output.
Production of electricity relative
Domestic production of renewable electricity as a percentage of total domestic electricity consumption.

The production of renewable electricity is compared with total electricity consumption and not against total electricity production. This choice is due to European conventions.
Gross production with normalisation
Gross production of renewable electricity corrected for weather conditions and including the indirect production from green gas.

Gross production is the production including own use. Own use is the electricity that is used in electricity output.

The normalized production has been calculated according to definitions from the EU Renewable Energy Directive from 2009. The binding targets from this guideline play an important role in Dutch energy policy. The production without normalisation is the actual physical production according to definitions from the standard national and international energy statistics.

There are two differences between the normalized figures and the figures without normalisation:
1. Correction for accidental weather conditions
2. Whether or not to include production of electricity from green gas.

Further explanation for 1: The normalized production in a given year is calculated as the capacity in the relevant year times the average production per unit capacity in the past five years (for wind) or fifteen years (for hydro power). The production of solar power is in principle also dependent on the weather. In the EU Directive, however, it has been agreed not to apply normalization for solar power.
Further explanation for 2: Green gas is biogas that has been upgraded to natural gas quality and injected into the natural gas network. A (small) part of the production of electricity from natural gas can thus be allocated to green gas. This allocation has been included in the normalized production of electricity; this allocation is not taken into account in production of electricity without normalisation.
Production without normalisation
Production of renewable electricity, not corrected for weather conditions and excluding the indirect production from green gas.

Green gas is biogas that has been upgraded to natural gas quality and injected into the natural gas network. A (small) part of the production of electricity from natural gas can thus be allocated to green gas. This allocation has been included in the normalized production of electricity; this allocation is not taken into account in production of electricity without normalisation.
Gross production of electricity
Gross production of electricity is the production including own use.

Own use is the electricity that is used in electricity output.
Net production of electricity
Net electricity production is the production excluding own use.

Own use is the electricity that is used in electricity output.
Installed installations
Installations, installed at the end of the reporting year.
Installations installed end of year
Number of installations installed at the end of the reporting year.
Electrical capacity end of year
Electrical capacity of installations installed at the end of the reporting year.

Electrical capacity is the amount of electricity that can be generated per unit of time during normal use of all available installations that produce electricity.