Green electricity production up by 40 percent

In 2020, total electricity production from renewable sources amounted to 31 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), up from 22 billion kWh in 2019.

Wind turbines accounted for the largest share of renewable electricity generation, namely 45 percent; biomass accounted for 29 percent and solar power for 26 percent.

Renewable electricity production from solar power soaring

In 2020, solar panel power production rose by more than half, from 5.3 billion kWh in 2019 to 8.1 billion kWh last year. The increase is directly related to substantial growth in the installed capacity. Total solar panel capacity grew by more than 3 thousand megawatts (MW) in 2020 and was estimated at just over 10 thousand MW at year-end.

Sharp increase in onshore and offshore wind energy

In 2020, electricity production from wind power rose by 29 percent (3.1 billion kWh) year-on-year, to 13.9 billion kWh. The increase is related to the expansion of wind farms. Two new, large farms off the coast of Zeeland province near Borssele increased the installed capacity at sea from around 1,000 MW at the end of 2019 to 2,500 MW one year later. Onshore wind capacity went up by nearly 600 MW to 4,100 MW at the end of 2020.

Substantially more electricity from biomass

Electricity production from biomass sources rose from 6.0 billion kWh in 2019 to 9.0 billion kWh in 2020, i.e. a 49-percent increase. Electricity from biomass is generated at waste incineration plants, where biomass is co-fired in coal-fired power plants, cogeneration plants and biogas plants.