WINDENERGY MAGAZINE 02 2018
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WindEnergy magazine is a quarterly trade magazine for professionals<br />
who are involved or interested in<br />
onshore and offshore wind energy<br />
developments in the Netherlands.<br />
Stay up-to-date with the latest on current<br />
and upcoming wind projects, tenders, subsidies, grid<br />
connections and innovations, and learn from Dutch<br />
manufacturers, developers and researchers.<br />
Interested? Request your free copy:<br />
www.windenergie-magazine.nl/abonneren<br />
Wind<br />
Energy<br />
magazine<br />
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HOW MUCH<br />
WIND POWER<br />
DO WE NEED?<br />
GEERT BOSCH,<br />
Director Bosch & Van Rijn<br />
column<br />
In this WindEnergy magazine special WindDays <strong>2018</strong> edition I will<br />
address the question: how much wind power does the Netherlands need<br />
in 2030 and after? The Dutch government formulated very ambitious<br />
climate goals: 49% less greenhouse emissions in 2030. A reduction of<br />
56 million tons of CO 2<br />
. This will be achieved by closing coal power plants<br />
(12 Mton), CCS (18 Mton), ending gas heating and electric driving.<br />
In the last century the Dutch concluded the famous Deltawerken<br />
by strengthening our dikes, closing off estuaries and empoldering<br />
agricultural lands. The energy transition poses an even bigger challenge:<br />
it will take major investments and radically change the economy and<br />
affect every company, family and citizen.<br />
What does wind power have to offer? First and foremost: it prevents<br />
CO 2<br />
emissions. Closing a coal fired power plant and replacing it by wind<br />
turbines reduces 5,000 to 7,000 tonnes of CO 2<br />
per turbine. 200 turbines<br />
is 1 Mton. Secondly, wind power is cheap, 5 to 7 Eurocents per kWh and<br />
decreasing. Many times cheaper than CCS or electricity generated by<br />
coal or gas power plants. Especially when you take the negative impact<br />
of fossil fuels into account, such as climate change and earth quakes in<br />
Groningen. Being cheap and clean, wind power is the workhorse of the<br />
future energy supply.<br />
This will even be truer, when storage of electricity in hydrogen or<br />
batteries improves. Wind can deliver the lion’s share of CO 2<br />
reduction.<br />
Doubling the current onshore capacity to 9,000 Megawatts will reduce<br />
15 Mton CO 2<br />
. Offshore can deliver an even amount of reduction, so<br />
together wind can deliver more than half of the reduction target for<br />
2030!<br />
The energy transition has far-reaching local consequences: in<br />
the landscape, in people’s living environment and therefore in<br />
municipalities. Together with provinces and social partners<br />
municipalities are working on regional climate plans: energy saving,<br />
residential areas without gas, heat pumps and electric driving. The social<br />
debate is gaining momentum. How can we generate renewable energy<br />
in the region and how can we store this energy? Who’s going to pay and<br />
how are we to make sure the bill gets equally split? Will we accept the<br />
significant changes wind and solar power will cause in our landscape?<br />
Which are the best (or least bad) spots? How do we alleviate nuisance<br />
for people and animals? Drafting and executing regional plans gives<br />
the energy transition practical meaning. To heat 10,000 houses with<br />
heat pumps, 2 wind turbines or 12 hectares of solar panels are needed.<br />
Driving 25,000 kilometres with 3,000 electric vehicles asks for another<br />
two turbines.<br />
So, back to the question we started with. How much wind power do we<br />
need? Much depends on the choices we make: can we considerably save<br />
on energy consumption? Will we say goodbye to gas? Is CCS desirable<br />
and affordable? Are we prepared to hand in a little bit of horizon,<br />
so the citizens of Groningen can live in safety? We and our political<br />
representatives at provinces and municipalities, in Brussels and The<br />
Hague, have some important decisions to make. I am convinced that<br />
wind power will play a crucial role in any future energy system. The<br />
wind power community, governments and social partners are inspired<br />
to work together to make this happen. As a visitor of the WindDays you<br />
will also participate and I’m sure the conference and exhibition we put<br />
together to help you gain knowledge and inspiration to do so!<br />
WindEnergy 2-<strong>2018</strong> 11
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