Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Geothermal Country Notes

Netherlands
Whilst the Netherlands has a similar geological situation to neighbouring countries, its geothermal potential (estimated by the Netherlands Institute of Applied Science to be a theoretical 90 000 PJ) has not been utilised to anywhere near the same extent. The country has access to indigenous low-cost natural gas and other forms of renewable energy that have resulted in a general lack of long-term support and publicity for geothermal power, unlike for example, Germany.

The Dutch Agency for Energy and Environment (NOVEM) initiated the Platform for Geothermal Energy in 2002. It is expected that this will result in study of the country's deep-layer geothermal heat - a resource that to date has not been utilised for heating or electricity generation.

Heat pumps using vertical borehole heat exchangers have been and continue to be installed in private houses and small commercial buildings: some 1 100 were in place at end-2004. Groundwater heat pumps are also used on a small scale, again mainly in small commercial buildings. However there is a significant market for medium to large-scale heat pumps combined with groundwater wells. Most of the 300 systems in operation at end-2004 were installed in commercial buildings, industrial zones and housing developments to provide district heating and cooling schemes.