Solar has once again grabbed the lion's share of over €3.9 billion ($4.3 billion) subsidy awarded under the Dutch Sustainable Energy Production Incentive Scheme (SDE). the SDE+Spring 2019 subsidy available for the round was open to all renewable energy generation sources in the Netherlands.
Out of 5,376 applications received for this round, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) selected 4,864 projects with solar PV claiming a 65% share with €2.87 billion ($3.16 billion) in the form of 4,738 projects. This represents 2,515 MW capacity. Biomass heat and electricity took 20% of the budget for 192 MW and wind power plants managed subsidies for 41 projects representing 148 MW.
The total budget for this round was €4.8 billion ($5.3 billion), but the final allocated amount added up to €3.9 billion.
Details of the winning projects can be viewed online on RVO's website.
For solar, this is the third consecutive SDE+ subsidy round when it has secured the maximum budget of the total available; however, the capacity awarded is less than the previous SDE+Autumn 2018 round and even less than the 2.92 GW it secured interest for (see Solar Stakes Claim To 55% Budget Of SDE+Autumn 2018).
RVO just achieved closure on another application round for subsidies under its SDE+Autumn 2019, a scheme operated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK). Cumulative budget available for this round is €5 billion ($5.51 billion).
Additional round
As per law firm CMS Netherlands, in Spring 2020 there will be an additional round called SDE++Spring 2020 for projects that have been awarded subsidy under SDE+Spring 2019 round but may not be accommodated on the grid for lack of a statements from the grid operator confirming grid connectivity for these projects—a mandatory requirement since October 1, 2019—to reapply for subsidy for another project location.
"This additional subsidy round will be financed by means of the unallocated budget for the 2019 spring and autumn rounds," reads the blog.
Changes
The Dutch government has introduced some changes to the existing renewable energy subsidy program which it calls Sustainable Energy Investment Grant (ISDE) to come into effect from January 1, 2020. As per the changes introduced, pellet stoves and biomass boilers along with heat devices in buildings will be taken off the list of eligible technologies to receive subsidies.
The ISDE scheme will be available and its scope widened till 2030. Expansion terms will be worked out, shared next year and shall come into effect beginning January 1, 2021.