Tank storage company Vopak has recently installed an e-boiler at its terminal in Vlaardingen. This could reduce gas consumption by a third. ‘The benefits lie in sustainability and CO₂ reduction.’

Electrification is seen as one of the most important ways for industry to become more sustainable. According to the Dutch government’s Electrification Roadmap, at least 30 TWh of additional electricity will be needed by 2030 to further electrify industry. The document also calculates that industrial energy demand will rise to 80-130 TWh by 2050, of which 60% will come from electrification.

But the Netherlands is struggling with grid congestion: the current electricity grids are not equipped to handle the growing demand and the typical intermittent nature of renewable electricity supply. Looking at Netbeheer Nederland’s capacity map, two-thirds of the Netherlands is coloured red, which means ‘transport capacity shortage with queue’. In some places, the queue for electrification projects has grown to ten to fifteen years.