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| Photo: Depositphotos.com |
A
majority of MPs have called on the government to immediately stop paying
billions of euros to energy companies to encourage them to use more
environmentally-friendly biomass.
They want economic affairs minister Henk Kamp
to stop accepting any more requests for subsidies under rules to stimulate
greener energy production.
Earlier this week, the Financieele Dagblad said
coal-fired electricity plants in the Netherlands are set to receive an
estimated €2bn to €2.5bn in state subsidies to stimulate the use of biomass.
MPs say it is unclear what the money is being spent on and point to the rising
cost of biomass, compared with the drop in the cost of solar and wind energy.
The origin of biomass, mainly from woods in Europe and North America, is also
controversial.
‘Trees are being chopped down in Canada, shipped by boat to the
Netherlands, turned into wood chips and burned in power stations. This subsidy
must stop,’ said Labour MP Jan Vos.
The motion to end subsidies was not
supported by the ruling VVD or the Christian Democrats. The CDA says it is
concerned that targets for reducing CO2 emissions will not be met without the
use of biomass to replace coal, a point which minister Kamp reiterated later to
news agency ANP.
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