Dutch Government Betting On Offshore Floating Solar

• Netherlands has proposed an additional climate package to quickly achieve its climate goals
• Solar is a big focus area of the package with a new 3 GW offshore solar target for 2030
• Solar panels will be encouraged to come up on rooftops and solar parks will need to be accompanied by energy storage

The Climate and Energy Ministry of the Netherlands says the country will add 3 GW of offshore solar energy as a target to be achieved by 2030 as part of an additional climate package proposed to play the 'necessary catch-up in one go' for a carbon free electricity sector by 2035, and achieve climate goals.

The new Draft Multi-Year Climate Fund Program for 2024 (draft MJP 2024) proposes to allocate more than €12.5 billion and reserve more than €12.5 billion for specific goals. These measures are aimed at a green economy for the country and requires contribution 'from everyone'. It still needs to be approved by the parliament.

Solar is one of the big focus areas under the draft. By 2050, the plan is to have all buildings emission and natural gas free with the use of solar panels for rental homes for which €100 million will be made available as subsidies. For solar panels on roofs, the government will develop additional standards combining these with subsidies through existing schemes, setting aside a budget of €222.5 million (see Netherlands' Allocates €8 Billion Subsidy For SDE++ 2023).

The 3 GW offshore solar capacity, for €44.5 million, will come up between wind turbines at sea and will be part of future offshore wind tenders.

It aims to make it mandatory for energy storage to be added for solar parks reserving a budget of €416.6 million.

"Climate policy must work for everyone. That is why we will use a subsidy to encourage more solar panels to be installed on rental homes and we will give priority to making the most drafty houses in the most vulnerable neighborhoods more sustainable," said Energy Minister Rob Jetten.

Tax benefit for coal will be abolished as of January 1, 2028 while the administration mulls over phasing out remaining tax exemptions for fossil fuels.

The package is estimated to cost the government €28.1 billion and help it bring down carbon emissions by 55% to 60% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Currently, the Dutch National Energy Climate Plan (NECP) targets to install 27 GW cumulative PV capacity by 2030.

At the end of 2022, Netherlands had a total installed solar PV capacity of 18 GW, which SolarPower Europe (SPE) expects to increase to 37.2 GW with the addition of 193 GW between 2023-2026.