Wind power has proven to be an inexhaustible source of renewable energy, and one of the most notable examples of its large-scale application is in the Dutch railway sector. The railways in this country, managed mainly by the Dutch company Dutch Spoorwegen (NS), have achieved a milestone by becoming the first rail network in the world to operate 100% of its trains using wind power.
From January 1, 2017, all trains in the Netherlands are powered entirely by electricity generated by wind turbines, a goal that was achieved ahead of schedule. Initially, this period was estimated to last until 2018, but a series of investments in wind farms both domestically and internationally brought forward this transition to clean energy.
The wind electrification process on the Dutch railways
The initiative to power Dutch trains with wind energy began in 2015, when NS signed a contract with the electricity company Eneco together with the association Vivens, which brings together other railway companies such as Veolia, Arriva and Connexxion. The aim was to reduce CO2 emissions and supply the railway system with 100% renewable energy.
The contract stipulated that by 2018, 100% of the trains would be powered by wind energy, however, thanks to the early completion of several wind projects in countries such as Belgium and Sweden, the deadlines were brought forward and by 2017 All the energy consumed by the trains came from the wind..
This transition has been made possible thanks to the 2.200 wind turbines which are currently operating in the Netherlands, although, it should be noted, a significant part of the electricity comes from wind farms located in other countries. This is because the installed wind power capacity in the Netherlands is not sufficient to cover all demand, so the import of renewable electricity from Finland and Sweden is necessary.
Energy and environmental impact
The Dutch railway network moves more than 600.000 passengers a day, which represents an annual consumption of 1,2 terawatt-hours (TWh), an amount of energy equivalent to the consumption of all households in the city of Amsterdam for one year. With the new wind system, thousands of tons of CO2 emissions are saved annually, contributing significantly to reducing the country's carbon footprint.
This achievement makes the Netherlands a pioneer in sustainability within the public transport sector, as no other train network in the world has been able to make such a transition. The ingenious use of wind energy for these trains means that for every hour of operation of a wind turbine, it can be recharged enough to power a train. 200 kilometers without emitting polluting gases.
Challenges in energy demand
Although the success of wind electrification is remarkable, the Netherlands still faces challenges in fully covering its energy demand with domestic renewable energy production. Currently, approximately 50% of the energy that powers Dutch trains is generated within the country, while the rest is imported from neighbouring countries.
This dependence on foreign energy not only does not detract from the success of the project, but has also motivated companies and governments to invest in more domestic wind farms and modern facilities both on land and offshore. These efforts are expected to increase renewable energy production capacity in the coming years.
Future of sustainable rail transport
The success of this project has inspired other nations to follow a similar path. Countries such as Germany and Denmark are already taking steps to electrify more transport sectors through investments in wind farms and renewable energy. The NS has indicated that its next goal is to be completely carbon neutral by 2040, without depending on any type of fossil energy even when there is no wind or sun.
Wind-powered electrification of railways is thus not only an improvement for the environment, but also represents a technological and economic advance, positioning the Netherlands as a world leader in railway sustainability. It is likely that more and more sectors of international transport will adopt similar models in the coming years.