Electricity production from renewable sources increased to 27.6 billion kilowatt-hours in the first half of 2023, which is 14 percent more than the previous year. This brings the share of renewable electricity to 46% of total electricity production, according to reports from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Production from sun and wind increased in the first half of the year, while production from fossil sources decreased.
Electricity production from solar energy increased by 25 percent, reaching 11 billion kilowatt-hours due to the use of more solar panels. At the same time, wind production increased by 16% to 13 billion kilowatt-hours. This was due to increased capacity at sea and more favorable winds on land. Less electricity came from biomass, mainly due to the reduction in coal burning in coal-fired power plants.
Electricity production from fossil sources decreased by 8%, reaching 30 billion kilowatt-hours. Coal-fired power plants produced 16% less electricity, mainly due to higher coal prices and carbon dioxide. Natural gas production decreased by 6 percent. This is mainly due to higher prices for natural gas and to a lesser extent carbon dioxide. According to Statistics Netherlands, both the relatively more expensive production from natural gas and coal production have had to give way to increasingly cheaper production from renewable sources.
Electricity imports decreased by 3% in the first half of the year. Imports from Denmark and the United Kingdom decreased, while imports from Norway increased. Electricity exports increased by 17 percent. Exports to Germany in particular increased, mainly due to lower electricity production in Germany due to lower output from German coal and nuclear power plants. The Netherlands has exported more electricity than it imports for seven consecutive quarters.
