There are constant developments in the field of electrification in horticulture. During the annual meeting of the Glastuinbouwpact Bommelerwaard and Tielerwaard, this topic was discussed in detail, said Gerard Selman at Glastuinbouw Nederland.
Almost a hundred horticulturists and interested parties gathered at the farm of chrysanthemum cutting company Deliflor Hoogveld on Wednesday to listen to several experts. One of the speakers was Adri Bom-Lemstra.
Energy lobby
"Entrepreneurs are being hit hard with the upcoming tax rates," thinks Glastuinbouw Nederland president Adri Bom-Lemstra. She gives an insight into the industry association's lobbying work in recent years. "The reduced rate will be phased out, energy tax rates will rise and the CHP exemption will be curtailed."
Through the work of Glastuinbouw Nederland, these additional costs will be phased in, rather than abruptly all at once in 2025, as was the plan, like the reduced horticultural tariff, which will be phased out until 2035. 'We also see that it will hurt, but we made sure that more time has been created to prepare for this. And with these rules, at least there is clarity.'
Differentiating energy sources
Also present was Stijn Schlatmann, horticultural energy expert at BlueTerra. Using realistic scenarios, he showed the options available to horticulturists in the room to keep paying for energy in the future, "because the outside world has never been so bleak. The market, prices and the government, everything is in flux".
Schlatmann sees three main pillars. First, saving energy always helps, for example with screens and efficient dehumidification. In addition, sustainable heating, for example with an individual heat pump, can be a solution. Finally, his advice remains: differentiate with your energy sources. If there is no sun or wind, it is better to have a CHP behind you, although natural gas has become an unreliable source. The best energy mix can still vary greatly per crop and location, so doing the maths individually remains important.
Besides energy, other cost increases were also discussed, such as labor. Henk-Jan van Ooijen of ISO Horti Innovators therefore explained the state of the art of robotization. Karin Ipema of OCAP also joined the group to talk about the timeline for the green CO2 pipeline network in the region. She expects that OCAP will be able to start delivering the first CO2 by early 2028.
Source: Glastuinbouw Nederland