Two recent reports have presented a mixed picture for Dutch horticulture’s energy use and CO2 emissions.
According to Wageningen Economic Research’s Energy Monitor of Dutch Horticulture 2022, high energy prices and management actions to limit expenditure saw the sector’s energy use fall sharply by 27%, with CO2 emissions also decreasing by a similar amount (down 25%). However, the latest data for the previous year (2021) shows that the sector exceeded its CO2 emission target.
Therefore, according to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), growers will have to begin paying a levy under the Dutch to the CO2 system – amounting to a total for of €6.3 million. Total CO2 emissions for the greenhouse horticulture sector in 2021 were 6.2 million tonnes, based on industry declarations, a figure which exceeded the agreed emission cap of 5.9 million tonnes.
According to Dutch greenhouse industry organisation Glastuinbouw Nederland, the overrun in 2021 was mainly caused by the increased use of natural gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plants which produced more electricity than in previous years due to the price difference between electricity and gas which stimulated grid electricity demand. However, the total figure was still less than many had expected due to the increased use of renewable energy and a reduction in greenhouse heat demand in 2021.
For 2021-2024 the Dutch horticulture sector has agreed on a linear reduction of CO2 emissions from 6.0 to 5.4 million tonnes, with a ceiling of 5.8 million tonnes for 2022. Although the formal RVO calculations are ongoing for 2022, industry sources, including the recent WUR report suggest the cap will not be breached. According to WUR Energy Monitor, total CO2 emissions from horticulture for 2022 decreased by a quarter to 4.9 million tonnes, down almost 1.7 million tonnes from 2021. CO2 emissions from cultivation per m2 after temperature correction decreased even more sharply than total CO2 emissions, to 31.5 kg/m2 (a fall of 30%). Despite this, renewable energy use decreased for the first time in 2022, dropping by over 8%.