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EBN strategy: Fit for 60

The Dutch energy transition is a story of ambitions and conditions. The overarching ambition is clear: to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 and become climate-neutral by 2050. The conditions to achieve these goals are also clear. Given that energy is indispensable to society, we need enough energy now and in the future to meet the needs of homes and businesses. In addition to being sustainable and available, energy must be affordable, reliable and socially compatible.

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The war in Ukraine, the related increase in energy prices, the need for government intervention to ensure gas stores are full – these have all shown that we cannot take the security of our energy supply for granted. And this won’t change any time soon. Even when the war is over, there is a good chance that the global energy market will not be as stable as it once was, making the urgency of transitioning to a sustainable energy system even greater than it already was.

As a policy holding of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, EBN is committed to accelerating the energy transition and the development of a carbon-neutral energy system by 2050. But this is subject to the energy system being reliable and affordable. EBN is in a unique position: traditionally focused on public-private partnerships, we are the only state-owned company in the energy transition that is also involved in energy production. From this position, we play a part – day in, day out – in meeting the need for reliable and affordable energy for the Netherlands today, while also working on making the Dutch energy system more sustainable and developing the carbon-neutral energy supply of tomorrow.

Our strategy for 2023 and beyond takes all these developments and our own ambition as a starting point to achieve the climate goals. It is a strategy that is in keeping with our public role, pays attention to affordability and security of supply, and aims to utilise the combined potential of land, sea and subsurface. It is also a strategy that underpins the acceleration of the energy transition by focusing on optimally integrating the various system components.

System development in the public interest

The transition is complex and broad in scope; that’s why a widely supported vision of the system of the future and the key steps required to achieve this. Numerous parties and government bodies are working towards this. EBN is playing its part through research, advice, innovation management and broad-based strategic partnerships – all in the public interest. With this approach, we can build a sustainable, well aligned energy system more quickly together.

Read more about system development in the public interest.

A sustainable gas system

In the Netherlands, we are winding down gas production: the Groningen field is close to being closed, and production from the small fields is falling. Homes and businesses are cutting their energy consumption year after year and switching to other, more sustainable energy sources. Still, the need for natural gas remains high. Even though we are increasingly switching from gas to solar, wind and other renewables, there is still too little of these to meet the total demand. And all the while the large-scale production of other sustainable energy sources and carriers, such as green gas and hydrogen, still needs to get off the ground. That sustainable gas system remains the ambition in the Netherlands, meaning it’s our ambition too.

Read more about a sustainable gas system.

Responsible carbon storage

The Netherlands is making ever larger strides towards a carbon-neutral future. We are switching to energy from the sun, wind and other renewable sources. We are taking measures to use less energy and to reuse more materials. Only, we are failing to make deep enough cuts in emissions and we are not doing this fast enough. Storing CO2 deep under the seabed is an essential and efficient further step towards limiting the impact that our remaining use of fossil energy has on the climate during the transition.

Read more about responsible carbon storage.

A sustainable heat transition

A warm home, comfortable offices, productive plants, factories and commercial greenhouses: some 40% of all the energy we use in the Netherlands is used for heating and for industrial processes. That’s a huge proportion! It also means a big opportunity to accelerate the energy transition. Making our heat more sustainable would be a gigantic step forward.

Read more about a sustainable heat transition.

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