Vattenfall, a multinational power company owned by the government of Sweden, on Oct. 16 announced it has cancelled plans to develop a biomass heating plant in Diemen, a city located just outside Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Plans to develop the project had been underway for several years. Vattenfall in June 2019 announced an agreement had been reached with several municipalities that would receive heat from the proposed plant. The 120-megawatt (MW) facility would have been fueled with wood pellets that met the Netherlands’ sustainability requirements. Environmental permits for the proposed project were secured in September 2019, according to the company.
Vattenfall in June 2020 announced it would delay making a final decision on the biomass-fired district heating plant, citing ongoing debates on biomass sustainability. At that time, the company said it was essential the Dutch government enact a clear sustainability framework.
In its Oct. 16 announcement, Vattenfall announced plans to develop the biomass-fired facility have been cancelled. Development of a district heating project, however, is expected to continue with a focus on geothermal energy, the use of residual heat, e-boilers and hydrogen.
