The extension of the scope of the Dutch aid scheme approved by the European Commission enables support to technologies such as CCU to reduce greenhouse emissions.

As announced by the European Commission on 15 December 2021, the broadening of the Dutch State Aid scheme has been approved. The original scheme approved in December 2020 was extended to further support technologies to reduce greenhouse emissions, such as Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU).

Indeed, the State Aid scheme includes the development of CCU technologies that capture CO2 from the industrial sector and re-use it in the greenhouse horticultural sector, thus avoiding the burning of fossil fuels. This way, the majority of CO2 emitted by industrial installations, Waste-to-Energy plants and small-scale biomass plants is not released into the atmosphere. Instead, it is reused in a circular way and ends up in horticultural greenhouses in the surrounding areas, replacing other fuels like natural gas.

The Waste-to-Energy plant in Duiven is an example in this regard. Here, the CO2 is first cooled to -20 C, after which it is stored in tanks as a liquid gas and transported to greenhouses where the CO2 is used as a growth promoter for crops. Another similar system, where the CO2 gases will go directly into the pipeline, will be operational in the future at the Waste-to-Energy plant in Rozenburg. Future sustainable applications for the captured CO2 include concrete for building materials, basic chemistry for plastics and biofuels.

The amended scheme for the Dutch State Aid will also enable specific advanced renewable fuels used for transport produced from raw materials in line with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).

News on the Duiven plants: https://www.cewep.eu/avr-duiven-ccu/ and https://www.avr.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/infographic-co2-capture-system-pdf.pdf

Official news on the Commission approving the broadened scope of the Dutch State Aid: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/mex_21_6906