Toespraak van minister Kamp bij het Sino-Dutch energy seminar

Toespraak | 27-01-2015

Ladies and gentlemen,

China’s efforts to develop a renewable energy sector are impressive. In a single decade you have become the world’s largest investor in renewable energy. In 2013 alone you invested 56 billion dollars in the sector – more than all the countries of Europe combined. As a result, you increased your total renewable-energy-capacity to 380 gigawatts in that year. Installed capacity has more than tripled since 2005.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We’re here today because China and the Netherlands both have ambitions in the field of wind-power. The Netherlands is investing heavily in wind-parks on land and at sea. And you too are increasing your capacity at a great rate. Last year, you increased your wind energy capacity by about 20 gigawatts. That means you have already achieved your goal of 100 gigawatts.

So we both see the potential of wind-power and are prepared to invest in it. But we both know that it also presents many obstacles in terms of costs, public-opposition and technological challenges. We’re both looking for the best sites for offshore wind-farms, the best ways of connecting wind-farms to the grid, and how to create the most attractive investment-regime. Today I hope we’ll find out how China and the Netherlands can seize opportunities together and tackle the challenges of wind-power.

Let me outline the latest developments in the Dutch approach. Last year the government concluded an Energy-Agreement-for-Sustainable-Growth with employers, trade unions, environmental organisations and other parties. Over 40 organisations committed to agreements that form the basis for a future-proof energy- and climate-policy. The main objective is to increase the share of renewable energy from 4.4 percent now to 14 percent by 2020, and to 16 percent by 2023.

Wind-power is crucial to achieving sustainability-targets, and the agreement contains objectives for offshore wind-power. In 2023 we aim to have wind-farms with a joint capacity of 4,450 megawatts – enough to supply five million households. That’s about four times the capacity of the wind-farms currently in operation and those now under construction.

The agreement I just mentioned is based on the assumption that the costs of offshore wind-power will fall by 40 percent per megawatt-hour over the next decade. That’s necessary to make offshore wind-power affordable, and to compete with traditional sources of energy. Of course, the quality of wind-farms remains an important condition.

The new policy on offshore wind-power takes effect this year. The government has taken two measures that will greatly reduce costs. It has standardised the offshore-grids and has firmed up spatial-planning for wind-farms.

It’s now up to industry to cut costs even more through innovation and increased productivity. I want businesses to rise to the challenge of adopting the latest technologies. I want them to set up wind-farms soon, and make them sustainable. And that is exactly where opportunities for Chinese-Dutch cooperation lie. Companies from our two countries can work together to deliver highly competitive wind-projects and products.

The Netherlands believes it can be an attractive partner for China, which now tops world-rankings in wind-energy-capacity. We can offer top-quality expertise and products in niche-areas. Let me be more specific:

• First, our port-facilities allow us to import parts and build and ship wind-turbines at a single location.
• Second, we have vast experience in design and testing, grid-connection and wind-farm-maintenance.
• And lastly, we can supply ships and marine-equipment to transport workers and materials for the construction and maintenance of offshore wind-farms.

We are eager to share our experience with China. Dutch companies are involved in almost all offshore wind farm projects in Europe – and beyond. What’s more, they have a great deal of environmental and ecological expertise. I strongly believe that if we join forces, we can make a big contribution to the growth of offshore wind-energy in China. Various companies and research-centres like Mecal, ECN and IHC Hydrohammer have already established successful partnerships with Chinese counterparts, supplying design, consultancy and technology.

Equally, the Dutch market is an attractive prospect for Chinese investors. Over the coming years many wind-farms will be built off the Dutch coast. I invite Chinese companies to submit tenders for these projects. From 2015 to 2019 I will announce five calls to tender, each for the generation of 700 megawatts. The call for tenders for the first two wind-farm-sites, with a total capacity of approximately 700 megawatts, is expected to be issued at the end of this year.

Another Dutch target is to increase onshore wind-power-capacity to a total of 6.000 megawatts by 2020. This is a great opportunity and challenge for the wind-energy-sector, and I hope Chinese producers and investors will participate.

Today is not the first time Dutch and Chinese parties have met to discuss the future of renewable energy. In 2009 China and the Netherlands formalised their energy-partnership in an MoU. Since then we have worked together on solar-energy, bioenergy, clean-coal-technology and smart grids.

During the last couple of years there have been many visits, workshops and trade fairs on wind energy. We have invested a lot of time and effort in building ties and exploring opportunities. Last year, the director of China’s National Energy Administration and I signed an agreement to increase collaboration in the field of offshore wind energy. The timing couldn’t be better. Right now, our two countries are stepping up efforts to increase offshore wind energy capacity. Government and industry must make the most of this momentum.

Of course you can count on my support. Unfortunately I cannot attend the coming session, as I have another appointment. However, I will be back for the lunch-meeting, together with Deputy Director Zhang Yuqing. This discussion will help us achieve our joint ambition: securing the energy-supply of the future. An energy-supply that is clean, safe, available and affordable.

Thank you.