News item | 21-11-2023 | 4:00 pm
Today the government has achieved an important milestone in additional and faster CO reduction2emissions by a Joint Letter of Intent to sign with Nobian. It is the first time that the government and a company have concluded such an agreement in the context of the customized approach. In this agreement, the government, provinces and Nobian record the concrete elaboration of the previously drawn up sustainability plans. With the tailor-made approach, the largest industrial emitters can reduce their CO2 emissions additionally and faster, on top of the Climate Agreement, and there is also significant benefit for the living environment.
Salt and chemical company Nobian produces and processes salt that is needed for everyday products such as textiles, medicines and disinfectants. But also for products that are important for the energy transition, such as insulation material, batteries, electric cars, wind turbines and solar panels. Nobian strives to become and remain one of the most sustainable chemical companies in the EU.
Accelerate climate goals
The outgoing cabinet and Nobian already signed a declaration of intent at the end of last year (Expression of Principles) signed in which the plans for sustainability were included. With these plans, Nobian can accelerate its climate goals by 10 years, meaning it will emit virtually no CO2 by 2030. That is a reduction of more than 0.6 Mton CO2 per year and is significantly more reduction than what the company must comply with according to the Climate Agreement.
Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate): “What a beautiful milestone! Today I signed the Joint Letter of Intent with the company on the Nobian site in Rotterdam. That is a very important and major step in our shared goal of making the Netherlands more sustainable and keeping companies here. And how special to do that on location. Because that’s what it’s all about: Nobian makes and processes salt and we need that in our daily lives. With the tailor-made approach, we encourage companies to innovate and at the same time become more sustainable and faster. With these concrete plans, Nobian will have virtually no CO2 emissions in 2030, which is ten years faster and three times the reduction that the company must achieve in 2030 according to the climate agreement. I look forward to quickly entering into the binding customized agreement with the company. Close.”
The 4 major projects that Nobian wants to implement also have positive effects on the living environment, including a significant reduction in nitrogen emissions. Water consumption is also decreasing. Natural gas consumption is decreasing significantly. The gas reduction is equivalent to more than 1% of the total gas consumption in the Netherlands, which corresponds to the consumption of approximately 250,000 households, comparable to the city of The Hague. The company also creates space on the power grid in Rotterdam (comparable to the electricity consumption of 50,000 households) and the opportunity to use electricity more flexibly in order to balance the electricity grid and reduce grid congestion. In addition, a project focuses on the development of underground energy storage, which is crucial for the energy transition.
Stake
To accelerate these sustainability projects and make them (financially) feasible, Nobian needs financial support from the government in addition to its own investments. This is estimated at an amount between 190 and 290 million euros. The exact amount will be determined in the binding customized agreements early next year and depends, among other things, on material and energy prices. Together with the provinces and environmental services, we are also looking at how permit processes can be improved to speed up the process. Finally, together with grid operators, the impact of the required energy infrastructure is examined, both on the company and on the rest of the region.
Positive advice
The independent Advisory Committee on Customized Agreements for Sustainable Industry has tested whether the plans are ambitious and feasible, whether the project plans are financially and operationally robust and whether the set goals can be achieved. The proposed projects have been positively assessed and most recommendations for improvement have already been incorporated into the agreement signed today. The other points are still being worked out and processed in the final step: the binding customized agreements. The advice was made public together with the Joint Letter of Intent.