Ochtend Flits

The electricity mix (2024)

In 2024, for the first time ever, more than half of Dutch electricity came from renewable sources. The full breakdown:

• Natural gas — ~36%
• Wind — ~27% (led by fast-growing offshore farms)
• Solar — ~18%
• Coal — ~7%
• Biomass — ~5.5%
• Nuclear — ~3% (one reactor, Borssele)

Wind generation rose 13% year-on-year in 2024; offshore wind alone jumped 32%. Solar capacity hit 24 GW. Coal and gas both fell as cheaper renewables displaced them.

Why gas still dominates

The Netherlands has historically been a major natural gas producer — the Groningen field was one of the largest in Europe. Gas-fired plants are flexible: they ramp up when wind drops or the sun doesn't shine. Phasing them out requires either more storage, more interconnection with neighbours, or more nuclear.

The Groningen gas field was shut down in 2024 after decades of earthquakes caused by extraction. The Netherlands now imports gas rather than exporting it — a significant reversal.

The offshore wind push

The North Sea is central to Dutch energy strategy. Large offshore wind farms (Hollandse Kust Noord, Zuid, West) came online in recent years and drove the offshore generation surge. More capacity is planned; the ambition is to make the Netherlands a net exporter of green electricity to the rest of Europe.

What to watch

• Phase-out of coal: The last coal plants are under political and legal pressure to close.
• Nuclear debate: There is political momentum (especially from VVD and PVV) to build new nuclear capacity. No final decision yet.
• Hydrogen: The Netherlands wants to use surplus offshore wind to produce green hydrogen, both for domestic industry and export.

Source: CBS, Low Carbon Power / Ember (2024 figures). Percentages are approximate — methodology varies slightly by source.