Dutch SDE++ 2021 Heavily Oversubscribed

• To its SDE++ 2021 subsidy round, Netherlands has received subsidy request of €12 billion in the form of 4,109 applications
• Of the total 4.16 GW of renewable energy capacity, solar PV's share stands at 4.13 GW, accounting for over €2.2 billion of the budget sought
• For wind energy, only 33 applications came in for 29 MW capacity which the Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Ministry says shows the downward trend in supply of such projects

The Netherlands has received a total of 4,109 applications for the country's renewable energy subsidy scheme round SDE++ 2021. This includes 4.161 GW of renewable energy capacity, and a total budget of €12 billion ($13.5 billion) which is well over and above the available budget of €5 billion ($5.62 billion).

Solar PV alone represents 4.132 GW of the total renewable energy capacity in the form of 2.224 GW of rooftop solar and 1.908 GW of ground mounted or floating PV. These projects account for €2.24 of total budget requested.

Another €7.3 billion subsidy has been requested by carbon capture & storage (CCS) and carbon capture and use (CCU) facilities.

In a letter to the Parliament, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy shared a 'striking' point that only 33 applications representing 29 MW capacity came in for wind energy applications. "This confirms the downward trend in the supply of such projects," the ministry points out in the letter.

Winners will be declared on the basis of lowest subsidy amount requested and with highest CO2 reduction possible. Currently, the applications for this round are being assessed for their technical, economic and financial feasibility by the Dutch Enterprise Agency Rijkdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO).

SDE++ 2021 is the 2^nd round of the Dutch SDE++ scheme that was launched as a successor to the SDE+ scheme. SDE stands for Stimulation of Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition. For the SDE++ 2020 round, the country awarded €4.7 billion to the winners of 4.40 GW capacity that included 3.53 GW PV capacity (see Netherlands: 3.53 GW Solar PV In SDE++ 2020 Round).