Energy consumption per capita back at 1970 level

© ANP / Patricia Rehe
Total energy consumption in the Netherlands, calculated per capita, fell even further in 2022 to 154 gigajoules. This brought the consumption level back to roughly 1970’s level, but it is still 11 times higher than in 1800. In 2022, the Netherlands was 77 percent dependent on energy from other countries. That has not been this high since the State Mines in the province of Limburg were first opened in 1906. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of newly released figures.

Energy consumption per capita was highest between 1995 and 2010 and has been falling since 2013. This decline is linked to dwellings and cars becoming more energy efficient, and milder winters are a factor as well. In 2022, the year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, energy consumption per inhabitant (154 GJ per capita) even fell to the 1970 level, mainly due to decreasing natural gas consumption. The current consumption per capita is still 11 times higher than in 1800, when it was approximately 14 GJ.

Growth in energy consumption due to fossil fuels

Between 1960 and 1973, energy consumption in all sectors of the economy skyrocketed due to the use of fossil fuels, crude oil and natural gas. In 1960, total energy consumption in the Netherlands was over 900 petajoules (PJ), while in 1973 this had risen to 2,600 PJ. After 1973, growth in energy consumption stalled because of the first oil crisis. This led to an economic recession and a focus on energy savings, such as home insulation, car-free Sundays and measures implemented in manufacturing. After decades of steady growth, energy consumption reached an all-time high of 3,470 PJ in 2010. As of 2013 energy consumption dropped, despite population growth.
Up until 2018, more than 90 percent of the energy consumed in the Netherlands originated from fossil fuels. In 2022, this share stood at 83 percent.


Dependence on foreign countries increased

With less natural gas being extracted in Groningen, more of it was imported from abroad as from 2015. As a result, dependence on energy from other countries rose to 77 percent in 2022. The Netherlands was already highly dependent on coal and crude oil imports, and biomass is partly imported from abroad as well. The Netherlands was relatively independent from other countries for a long time thanks to the production of domestic natural gas. Since the opening of the State Mines in Limburg in 1906, foreign dependence has not been as high as it was in 2022.

 

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