According to CBS' statistics, the Netherlands consumed 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2023. Compared to 2022, this is a 5 percent decrease. However, gas consumption in agriculture saw an increase of 9% to 3.16 billion cubic meters. The CBS's explanation for this increase is not provided in the press release, however can be found elsewhere.
In the horticulture sector, combined heat and power (CHP) units were more frequently activated. Compared to 2022, CHP gas consumption in the sector increased by 11.9% in 2023. However, the 2.5 billion cubic meters are still below the levels in 2021 (3.15 billion cubic meters), 2020 (2.88), and 2019 (2.95).
Detailed preliminary CBS figures for 2023 reveal that the highest CHP usage occurred in March (291 million cubic meters). In 2022, the peak was in January (299), as it was in 2021 (389), 2020 (329), and 2019 (351). In other words, the delayed start of cultivation last year is reflected in the CHP figures.
While CHP usage in horticulture has increased, the rest of the agricultural sector saw a 1% decrease in natural gas consumption. Horticulture growers utilize their CHP units to generate heat (for the greenhouse), electricity (for their use or the grid), and CO2. (for growers' usage).
Although the use of natural gas is under scrutiny. For the time being, CHP remains the most efficient source for growers. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing shift towards sustainability, including for CHP fuels.
Source: CBS (in Dutch)