Press release 16 October 2024

Clean Air Committee: Council of State must still rule on the nature permit

The news that Vattenfall is stopping the construction of the largest biomass plant in Diemen is a victory for nature, good for our forests and biodiversity. But a ruling in principle from the Council of State on the nature permit remains necessary. The Clean Air Committee therefore expects, together with MOB, that a ruling will still be made.

Vattenfall wanted to use the nitrogen space that the nature permit for the Diemen location has for the new biomass plant. Using this nitrogen space is contrary to the European Habitats Directive given the nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands. Nitrogen emissions and precipitation in nature reserves, such as the nearby Natura 2000 area Naardermeer, must actually decrease significantly in order to restore nature. The Clean Air Committee therefore expects a ruling in principle on this from the Council of State. This ruling has far-reaching consequences for the ongoing nitrogen cases in the Netherlands.

No support

There had been no support for Vattenfall’s biomass plant for some time. The surrounding municipalities no longer wanted it, but society, politics and science also increasingly turned against Vattenfall. Due to the ongoing campaign and reporting by the Clean Air Committee in collaboration with nature organisations from the Netherlands and abroad in the past 6 years, awareness grew that woody biomass is not only bad for forests and biodiversity – due to systematic forest and clear-cutting – but also does not contribute to the climate in terms of reduction targets.

Biomass combustion emits more greenhouse gases than gas and coal. But air quality was also a major concern for residents and society. In addition to CO2 and nitrogen, biomass also emits ultrafine particles and other substances of great concern, which causes major problems for the health of humans, animals and nature.

Consequences?

According to the chair, Fenna Swart, of the Clean Air Committee, this decision will contribute to the political consensus and decision-making in both The Hague and Brussels that biomass is no longer seen as green and sustainable. ‘’At the same time, RWE, the largest energy producer in the Netherlands, is currently converting the remaining coal-fired power stations to 100% biomass. For this, beccs (carbon capture and storage) is being used as a Trojan horse to obtain the green SDE subsidies. This means that we will go from 3.5 million tons to 7.5 million tons of wood per year in imported wood chips from Europe and America for our biomass. That is the next and actually an even bigger problem than Vattenfall.”