News item | 18-12-2023 | 3:00 PM
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) is providing 12 million euros in support to water boards to make water purification more sustainable with innovative processes and to accelerate the production of sustainable energy. Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate) announced this today. This concerns eight innovative project plans with which the Union of Water Boards want to contribute to the Dutch climate goals in the field of industry and energy, together with the water boards themselves.
Nitrous oxide reduction
One of the projects focuses on identifying and ultimately reducing the nitrous oxide released during the water purification process. This is included in the entire emissions of industry in the Netherlands. €8.6 million will be allocated to the project to reduce nitrous oxide. The ambition is to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from 0.6 megatons to 0.2 megatons by 2030.
Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate): “We encourage companies and organizations to innovate and at the same time become more sustainable and faster. This is not only necessary for the climate goals, but also for the preservation of vital industry in the Netherlands. The eight innovative projects of the water boards are therefore receiving support. Not only do they significantly reduce nitrous oxide emissions, they also stimulate sustainable energy production of hydrogen, green gas and ensure circular purchasing of materials and installations.”
Nitrous oxide is a very strong greenhouse gas and more than 250 times more harmful than CO2. It is released during the biological processes during the purification of sewage water. The project will measure and better understand nitrous oxide emissions at sewage treatment plants in order to ensure that less nitrous oxide is released. This contributes to the industry’s CO2 reduction and is part of broadening discussions with major emitters in the industry.
Innovative projects
Of the 12 million subsidy, 3.4 million will go to other innovative projects. Such as the production of sustainable energy through heat from water (aquathermal), green gas and solar and wind energy. The water boards want to accelerate the production of green gas and are taking the lead in circular purchasing of new installations, dikes and roads. A special project is the production of hydrogen through electrolysis. The byproduct, oxygen, is used to make water purification work better with pure oxygen. This makes water purification much more efficient and results in energy savings.
Minister Rob Jetten (Climate and Energy): “Water boards also have many opportunities to accelerate the energy transition with the development of innovative techniques. Water boards can generate sustainable energy themselves or make their land available. Consider, for example, generating green gas from sewage sludge. I am happy to see that water boards are making full use of these opportunities and that we are giving projects a boost with this subsidy.”