Consumption of energy from renewable sources rises to 20 percent
The consumption of renewable energy, such as wind energy, solar energy and energy derived from organic materials, amounted to 358 PJ (petajoules) in 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of 15 percent. The most important source of renewable energy is biomass (121 PJ), followed by wind (116 PJ) and solar (78 PJ). Total energy consumption increased slightly to 1,807 PJ, 1 percent higher than in 2023.
Most renewable energy is consumed in the form of electricity (60 percent), followed by heating and cooling (of buildings, for example) (28 percent), and fuel for transport (12 percent). Looking at total energy consumption including fossil fuel sources, about half is used for heating and cooling, over a quarter is in the form of fuel for transport and just under a quarter is electricity.
| Soort | Biomass (%) | Wind energy (%) | Solar energy (%) | Heat pumps (%) | Other (%) | Statistiscal tranfser1) (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 * | 6.7 | 6.4 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | |
| 2023 * | 5.9 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 | |
| 2022 | 5.9 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | |
| 2021 | 6.3 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | |
| 2020 | 6.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| 2019 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
| 2018 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | |
| 2017 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | |
| 2016 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | |
| 2015 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |
| * provisional figures ¹⁾ Renewable energy purchased from another EU member state, in accordance with EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED). A statistical transfer means that no physical transfer took place. | ||||||
Offshore wind energy continues to rise
In 2024, 216 PJ of renewable electricity was consumed, 12 percent more than in 2023. This means that about half of total electricity consumption comes from renewable sources.
The consumption of electricity generated from wind power increased by 20 percent compared to 2023 (116 PJ). Of that, just over half was generated by onshore wind turbines, and the rest by offshore wind. The increase in the consumption of wind energy is largely attributable to the addition of a large number of offshore wind turbines.
9 percent more solar power was generated in 2024. That was a modest increase compared with previous years. Fewer solar panels were added in 2024 than in 2023, and in addition, 2024 was less sunny than 2023.
Electricity production from biomass, such as wood, manure and food waste, was down by 10 percent to 23 PJ. This was mainly because less biomass was used to co-fire power stations that run mainly on coal. It is possible to substitute some of that coal with various types of biomass.
| Jaar | Solar (%) | Onshore wind (%) | Offshore wind (%) | Biomass (%) | Hyrdo (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 0.9 | 4.9 | 0.9 | 4.2 | 0.1 |
| 2016 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 4.2 | 0.1 |
| 2017 | 1.8 | 5.2 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 0.1 |
| 2018 | 3.0 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 0.1 |
| 2019 | 4.4 | 6.1 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 0.1 |
| 2020 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 4.1 | 7.5 | 0.1 |
| 2021 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 0.1 |
| 2022 | 14.2 | 11.0 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 0.1 |
| 2023 * | 16.9 | 13.6 | 9.6 | 6.2 | 0.1 |
| 2024 * | 17.9 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 5.4 | 0.1 |
| * provisional figures | |||||
Consumption of renewable energy for heating and cooling increases
Of the total energy used for heating and cooling, such as heating and cooling in buildings, domestic hot water and heating for industrial processes, 11.2 percent came from renewable sources in 2024. That compares with 10.2 percent in 2023. Biomass is the largest source of energy for renewable heating at 56 PJ.
Heat pumps are making a growing contribution. In 2024, 30 PJ of heat was extracted from the air and ground using heat pumps, a rise of 16 percent. More geothermal energy was also consumed (7.5 PJ), 10 percent more than in 2023. The consumption of renewable cooling, such as air conditioning, amounted to 6.3 PJ. There was not much change in solar heating compared with 2023, at 1.2 PJ.
| Jaar | Biomass (%) | Heat pumps (%) | Geothermal heating (%) | Solar heating (%) | Renewable cooling1) (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |
| 2016 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |
| 2017 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |
| 2018 | 4.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |
| 2019 | 5.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | |
| 2020 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | |
| 2021 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| 2022 | 5.6 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| 2023 * | 5.8 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| 2024 * | 6.2 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| 1) Has been included since the revised EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) took effect in 2021 * provisional figures | |||||
Rapid growth in use of biodiesel
The main renewable fuels used for transport are biodiesel, biogasoline and biokerosene. Together, these fuels account for 40 PJ. These are blended with fossil fuels for use in transport. The consumption of biodiesel in 2024 (25 PJ) was double that of 2023. This increase is related to the introduction of stricter legal requirements on motor fuel suppliers on the use of renewable energy. The consumption of biokerosene also doubled (5 PJ). The consumption of biopetrol was was almost the same as in 2023 (11 PJ).
The total consumption of diesel and gasoline for road traffic in 2024 was 355 PJ. That includes 35 PJ in blended biofuel and biodiesel, about 10 percent of the total. In 2024, 151 PJ of kerosene was distributed in the Netherlands. That includes 5 PJ in blended biokerosene, 3 percent of the total amount of kerosene.
| Transport brandstof | Jaar | Petrol, fossil fuel (Petajoule (PJ)) | Biopetrol blended (Petajoule (PJ)) | Diesel, fossil fuel (Petajoule (PJ)) | Biodiesel, blended (Petajoule (PJ)) | Kerosene, fossil fuel (Petajoule (PJ)) | Biokerosene, blended (Petajoule (PJ)) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2024 * | 169.8 | 10.8 | ||||
| Petrol | 2023* | 168.5 | 10.8 | ||||
| Diesel | 2024 * | 150.3 | 24.3 | ||||
| Diesel | 2023* | 170.9 | 12 | ||||
| Kerosene | 2024 * | 146.2 | 5.1 | ||||
| Kerosene | 2023* | 140 | 2.6 | ||||
| * provisional figures | |||||||
Sources
- Statline - Renewable energy; consumption by energy source, technology and application
- Statline - Renewable electricity; production and capacity
Related items
- News release - Over half of electricity production now comes from renewable sources
- Long read publication - Renewable cooling according to the European Renewable Energy Directive
- European Commission Renewable Energy Directive