In their bid to cut transport-related carbon emissions, the Netherlands has announced that its entire electric train network will switch-over to wind power in the next three years. The energy will be generated from wind farms within the country as well as from Belgium, and nearby Scandinavian countries.
According to Railway Technology, under a new green energy contract between Dutch power supplier Eneco and VIVENS, an energy procurement joint venture comprising Netherlands Railways (NS), Veolia, Arriva, Connexxion and rail freight firms, half of the NS fleet of electric trains will run on green energy in 2015, rising to 70% in 2016, 95% in 2017, with the goal of a 100% renewable network by 2018.
“Rail companies are the basis for further sustainable energy, not only in the Netherlands but also elsewhere in Europe. The greatest environmental impact is caused by CO2 emitted during power generation. Based on figures from 2014, prior to the partnership with Eneco, NS used 1.2TWh of electricity and emitted 550 kt of CO2, while the complete VIVENS contract emitted 640 kt of CO2. These emissions will be brought back to zero in 2018,” said Eneco’s account manager Michel Kerkhof.
We love this train of thought: the Dutch plan to have a 100% wind-powered rail system by 2018 http://t.co/4Zdfjpz059 pic.twitter.com/QyONqfZKPT
— Climate Reality (@ClimateReality) September 8, 2015
“What makes this contract and partnership unique is that a whole sector decreases its CO2 footprint enormously and sets an example for other sectors to follow. Mobility is responsible for 20% of CO2 emissions in the Netherlands, and if we want to keep travelling, it is important that we do this without burdening the environment with CO2 and particulate matter. This contract offers all Dutch citizens the option to make a climate neutral trip, regardless of distance,” he added.
The deal comes after developers behind Holland’s largest offshore wind project, the 600 MW Gemini scheme, signed €2.8bn worth of contracts to push the project towards its targeted completion date of 2017. The project is earmarked for a central role in ensuring the Netherlands hits its target of producing 14 % of its energy from renewables by 2020. The country currently has 2.7 GW of wind power capacity in operation, most of which is onshore, and aims to reach 4.45 GW by 2023.
100% wind-powered railway system by 2018 – it seems the Dutch train to sustainable power is speeding up! http://t.co/C2codGimhi
— Sandy Allen (@renewablesfocus) September 3, 2015
Dutch citizens recently sued their government for not being stricter on climate change. The court ordered the Dutch government to cut 25 % of its carbon emissions by 2020. Cutting out all CO2 from trains, which carry 1.2 million passengers every day, by 2018 is a step in the right direction.
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