Page 60 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2016 publication

60 Winter 2016 European Energy Innovation

HEATING

Did you hear the Netherlands is saying
good-bye to gas?

By Maya van der Steenhoven and Babajide Owoyele of the programme for heating and cooling South Holland

The Netherlands is making governments, this will affect everyone in the Netherlands. The energy
a fast transition away from in the Netherlands.. consumption in the South Holland
gas heating. The Climate region accounts for aprox 800 PJ
Conference COP21 in To take its responsibility in the national which is around 25% of total energy
Paris, and the recent earthquakes in challenge, the province Zuid-Holland consumption in the Netherlands,
Groningen (the Dutch province where has almost completed the mapping with an estimated 1% coming from
gas is being produced), have created out of the province’s regions, renewable sources. South Holland is
enough urgency for the Netherlands to municipalities and even districts, to very much an industrialised region:
decide about it’s route away from gas. show all heating possibiliities. These Industry uses the largest chunk of this
maps give insights into the optimal energy (an estimated 650 PJ). The
This puts the Netherlands on the verge technical preferences for substituting petrochemical industry and refineries
of going into the biggest transition of gas heating to electric heatpumps, use three quarters of this, supplying
the century. With 7 milion households biogas or collective heating systems the European or global markets. Half
and buildings currently being heated per district. This also gives insight of this is used as raw material for
by gas, and gas being the main source into the opportunities of locally producing plastics and chemicals.
for cooking, the transformation will be generated (waste) heat or geothermal The enormous horticultural sector in
immense. In the next 20 years these heat sources. Using this information a Westland and Oostland used 45 PJ
households will have to be taken bottom-up process is being initiated of heat in 2014. Not only has South
off gas and isolated and equipped with local stakeholders to discuss Holland got a large demand for heat,
with different heating and cooking their possibilities for change and local but it also has an abundance of heat
solutions. 350.000 houses a year. This preferences. resources . South Holland has an
is generic to both existing houses and enormous supply of residual waste
newly built ones and, although the SOUTH HOLLAND TAKES A LEADING heat and in some areas (Rotterdam, the
major task will be in the hands of grid ROLE IN THE TRANSITION Hague, Westland) terrific conditions
companies, municipalities and the South Holland is not a typical province for geothermal heat. The growth

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