Sharp increase in demand for sustainable electricity

Households and businesses in the Netherlands are consuming an increasing amount of sustainable electricity. This is apparent from CertiQ's recently published annual overview. CertiQ is a TenneT subsidiary that issues certificates to serve as proof that electricity is generated in a sustainable way. In the past year the number of cancelled certificates has increased by nearly 22%. This represents a quantity of electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of over 1.5 million households.

Electricity from a wall socket does not come with a note telling you whether or not it was produced from a renewable energy source. The certificates issued by CertiQ help to make this important distinction. The organisation issues certificates for each megawatt-hour of sustainable electricity. In 2011 the number of cancelled certificates rose to 33.5 million. Energy suppliers and traders ‘cancel’ their certificates when they actually supply renewable energy to households, businesses and other end-users.

Sustainable electricity in the Netherlands
Approximately 11.1 million certificates were created in the Netherlands in 2011, up from 10.7 million in 2010. Most of the certificates issued for sustainable electricity in the Netherlands are for biomass (6.4 million certificates) and wind energy (4.2 million certificates).

Because demand for sustainably generated electricity exceeds supply in the Netherlands, there has also been a considerable increase in the number of imported certificates. While 16 million certificates for renewable energy were imported in 2010, this number rose dramatically to over 25 million in 2011. Most of these imported certificates were issued for renewable electricity produced in Norwegian hydropower plants. Together with the Norwegian electricity transmission operator Statnett, TenneT is the initiator and owner of the 580 km long NorNed cable, which has linked the Dutch and Norwegian electricity systems since 2008. Since it became operational, the cable link has been used largely to import sustainable electricity generated in hydropower plants.

About CertiQ
CertiQ is a 100% subsidiary of TenneT TSO B.V. and issues certificates for electricity generated from sustainable sources. In the Netherlands the CertiQ certificates for renewable electricity constitute the only valid proof that suppliers 'offer 'green' electricity. The certificates are also used to underpin subsidy schemes designed to promote the production of sustainable electricity. CertiQ works closely with its European sister organisations to establish a European market for the certification of electricity.

Further information
More information about CertiQ and a full annual statistical overview are available at the CertiQ website: www.certiq.nl.