Avoided use of fossil energy and emission of CO2

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Energy sources/techniques Avoided carbon dioxide emission (CO2) Avoided emission (kton) Avoided carbon dioxide emission (CO2) Avoided emission relative (% of total CO2 emission)
Total energy sources 28,237 22.15
Hydro power 38 0.03
Wind energy, total 14,626 11.48
Wind energy on shore 7,812 6.13
Wind energy off shore 6,815 5.35
Solar energy 9,912 7.78
Solar photovoltaic 9,912 7.78
Solar thermal
Total geothermal energy
Deep geothermal heat
Total shallow geothermal energy
Shallow geothermal heat, total
Shallow geothermal heat, heat pumps
Shal geothermal heat, without heat pumps
Shallow geothermal cold
Aerothermal heat, total
Total biomass 3,660 2.87
Municipal waste; renewable fraction 686 0.54
Co-firing of biomass in electr. plants 2,397 1.88
Total biomass households
Biomass households, open fireplaces
Biomass households, inserts
Biomass households, wood stoves
Biomass households, pellet stoves
Biomass households, charcoal use
Biomass boilers companies, total 347 0.27
Biomass boilers companies, CHP 347 0.27
Biomass boilers companies, heat only
Total biogas 231 0.18
Biogas from landfills 9 0.01
Biogas from sewage water purification 75 0.06
Biogas, co-digestion of manure 75 0.06
Other biogas 71 0.06
Liquid biofuels for transport, total
Biogasoline
Biodiesel
Biokerosene
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


The use of renewable energy avoids the use of fossil energy and as a consequence avoids emission of CO2. Renewable energy is energy from wind, hydro power, the sun, the earth, heat from outdoor air and biomass. This is energy from natural processes that is replenished constantly.

Figures are presented in an absolute way, as well as related to the total emission of carbon dioxide in the Netherlands.

Avoiding the use of fossil energy and avoiding emission of carbon dioxide are important underlying aims for stimulation of the use of renewable energy.

The figures are broken down into energy source/technique and into application (electricity, heat and transport).

From reporting year 2021, new sustainability criteria for solid and gaseous biomass will apply in the context of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (2018). Only solid and gaseous biomass compliant according to these criteria are used to determine the avoided use of fossil energy and emission of CO2 in 2021.
An exception applies to the biogas used for bio-methane production. The current methodology doesn’t discern sustainable from non-sustainable biogas used for bio-methane production. This differs from the methodology used for gross final energy consumption that is the basis of most statistics on renewable energy.

Data available from:
1990

Status of the figures:
This table contains definite figures up to and including 2023, revised provisional figures for 2024.

Changes as of December 2025:
Figures on 2021 and 2022 have been revised, figures on 2023 and 2024 have been updated.
The revision concerns improved data on (bio)diesel oil consumption by mobile equipment in the construction and services sectors. This results in a shift of biodiesel consumption in energy application transport to energy application heating and cooling. Figures on other energy sources have been slightly adjusted based on new information.
The figures on “Shallow geothermal heat, heat pumps” and “Aerothermal heat, total” differ from the figures as published in the heat pumps table (StatLine-code 85523). The reference efficiencies used to determine the avoided use of fossil energy and the avoided emissions for 2024 were published in December 2025. When updating the heat pump table in November 2025 the references from 2023 were used, which explains the differences.

Changes as of July 2025
Figures for 2024 have been added.

Changes as of January 2025
Figures have been updated for 2022 and 2023. Figures for 2022 are now definite.
The figures on “Shallow geothermal heat, heat pumps” and “Aerothermal heat, total” differ from the figures as published in the heat pumps table (StatLine-code 85523). The reference efficiencies used to determine the avoided use of fossil energy and the avoided emissions for 2023 were published in December 2024. When updating the heat pump table in November 2024 the references from 2022 were used, which explains the differences.

When will new figures be published?
Provisional figures: June of the following year.
Revised provisional figures: December of the following year.
Definite figures: December of the second following year.

Description topics

Avoided carbon dioxide emission (CO2)
The amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted if no use is made of renewable energy technology. The amount of carbon dioxide is calculated in accordance with the methodology of the Protocol Monitoring Renewable Energy (AgentschapNL, 2010). It covers domestic production of renewable electricity, heat and gas. Imports of green electricity is not included.
This methodology only considers the avoided emission by the use of the renewable energy at the final stage: production of renewable electricity, heat and gas. The earlier stages are not included. For biofuels for road transport greenhouse gas emissions of the earlier stages may be substantial. Therefore, for these biofuels no avoided CO2 emissions are published.
Avoided emission
1 kton = 1,000 ton = 1 million kg.
Avoided emission relative
Avoided emission of carbon dioxide as percentage of the total Dutch CO2 emission according to the IPCC guidelines (Kyoto Protocol).

CO2 emission figures are provisional.