The Netherlands has plenty of gas underground, and eight out of ten households are still heated with natural gas. But the country is also moving toward a full phase-out of fossil fuels. As part of this transition, Næstved District Heating recently hosted a delegation from the province of Friesland to learn more about Danish district heating, reports the regional newspaper Sjællandske Nyheder.
By Kim Palm, Sjællandske Nyheder
“Some of the world’s largest natural gas fields are in the Netherlands, both offshore and on land. In northern Friesland, it used to be as simple as drilling a hole in the ground and gas would appear,” explains Morten Duedahl from the Danish Board of District Heating, DBDH.
The end of an era
But everything ends eventually. Since 1959, the Netherlands has benefited from its underground gas reserves. In 2024, parliament decided to halt further extraction from Europe’s largest natural gas field near Groningen. As a result, alternative heating solutions, such as district heating, must now be considered.
“We’re pleased that the Dutch are looking to Denmark for inspiration, and here in Næstved we’re happy to support the green transition,” says Jens Andersen, CEO of Næstved District Heating.
He has visited Friesland three times to present Næstved’s district heating progress. This time, a full bus of Dutch officials toured a residential area in Næstved after first visiting the AffaldPlus waste-to-energy plant at Ydernæs.
“Næstved is roughly the same size as the town we come from in southwest Friesland. It makes good sense to learn from what consumer-owned district heating is achieving here,” says delegation leader Michiel de Wit.
Local challenges
He comes from the town of Sneek with just over 40,000 inhabitants. The delegation heard about the many opportunities district heating offers – along with the challenges that arise when prices increase and connection rates drop.
Right now, Næstved District Heating is struggling to attract new customers due to the connection fee, which has risen to DKK 84,110. Many homeowners are choosing to keep their gas boilers, as there is still no clear political decision on when gas will be fully phased out in Danish households.
The latest campaign is taking place in Holsted Vest, with a deadline of 30 November. Last week, connection rates jumped from 21 to 32 percent – but still far from the required 60 percent.
The Dutch delegation took all of this in before leaving Næstved and heading onward to Høje Taastrup, where district heating rollout is also underway.
Unlike the Netherlands, most of Denmark is already connected to district heating. In total, 68 percent of households today are supplied by a collective heat solution.
In 2024, the Dutch parliament decided to halt further extraction from Europe’s largest natural gas field near Groningen. This decision has accelerated the search for alternative heating solutions – with district heating high on the agenda.
Read more about DBDH’s CONFIDENCE project with the Dutch partners.
The article is translated from the newspaper Sjællandske Nyheder. Kim Palm wrote the original Danish article.
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