News item | 11-10-2022 | 14:45
On 11 October 2022, the Senate passed an amendment to the Mining Act for geothermal energy. The amendment to the law provides more appropriate regulations for geothermal energy and thus enables an acceleration of the energy transition. The amendment to the law is expected to enter into force in the second quarter of 2023.
Geothermal energy, also known as geothermal energy, uses hot water from at least 500 meters underground to heat the built environment, greenhouse horticulture and industry. Geothermal energy therefore has the potential to contribute to making the Dutch energy system more sustainable, and thus plays an important role in the energy transition.
In recent years, more and more geothermal projects have been started in the Netherlands. The government stimulates this source of sustainable energy. The current licensing system for geothermal energy is described in the Mining Act. However, when the Mining Act was introduced in 2002, hardly any geothermal energy production took place in the Netherlands. The adopted amendment to the law introduces a separate permit structure specifically for the extraction of geothermal energy. This structure is more in line with what is needed for detecting and extracting geothermal energy.
In order to implement the amendment to the law, the Mining Decree and the Mining Regulation must also be amended. This process is currently being followed. In the coming period, proper agreements will be made with the sector about the implementation of the changes in the licensing system.