For 2022, more than 1,600 sustainable projects have been authorized for funding through the SDE++ initiative. For this period, a maximum budget of approximately €12 billion has been allocated.
The 2022 opening round, which ran from June 28 to October 6, 2022, had 2,296 applications with a total budget claim of roughly €13.9 billion. From the total number of applications received, 1,677 projects have been approved, with a commitment budget of approximately €11.9 billion.
The majority of the funding (€ 6.7 billion) is set out for CO2 capture and storage (CCS) initiatives. It is about eight initiatives that utilise the Aramis project for CO2 storage in exhausted gas sources in the North Sea. Because previous SDE applications for this project were withdrawn or did not proceed, this is the first time that budget has been allocated to these projects. Furthermore, more than € 3 billion has been allocated to renewable and low-CO2 heat projects, such as geothermal.
Renewable energy
Wind projects have received a total budget of €55 million. It involves six plants with a total capacity of 39 MW.
A total of € 613 million is allocated to 1,430 Solar PV on roof projects with a total capacity of 1,051 MW. In comparison to 2021, the available budget for solar PV has been roughly halved. 75 solar PV on field or water projects have been given €350 million. They have a total capacity of 862 MW.
Increased budget
The SDE++ scheme’s budget in 2022 was significantly higher than in prior years. This was due in part to the fact that the European CO2 pricing (ETS) was higher than predicted, requiring less subsidy for already approved projects. Furthermore, the government issued a one-time extra budget last year. Because of the larger money, more sustainable projects are eligible, and Dutch CO2 emissions can be decreased faster.
Actual spending is projected to be lower since energy and CO2 prices may rise or projects may be canceled. All approved projects combined have the potential to save 4.6 megatons of CO2 per year.
SDE++ 2023 to begin this fall
The SDE plan is the government’s most important scheme for encouraging the generation of sustainable energy and the reduction of CO2 emissions. The cabinet has already said that ‘fences’ will be imposed for the first time in the SDE program in 2023. A hash mark designates a minimal amount for a given category, such as high-temperature heat. As a result, strategies that are less cost-effective in the near term but critical for the energy transition in the long run are being considered more frequently. In accordance with EU rules on state aid, this modification requires permission from the European Commission. Because final approval for the new scheme has not yet been granted, the 2023 opening round will be pushed back to September of this year.
Results SCE opening 2022 – 1 wind project
From 1 March to 1 December 2022, the Cooperative Energy Generation (SCE) Subsidy Scheme was open. The total budget available was set at €150 million. In the 2022 initial round, 268 applications were filed. The majority of the applications (229 in total) involved solar on a small-scale consumption connection (kva). There have been 38 applications for solar projects with large-scale consumption connections (GVA). One application for a wind project (on a small-scale consumption connection) has been submitted.
Source: Central government
