The Netherlands is holding back €277 million (~$326.75 million) that was conditionally reserved for the second and third phases of the SolarNL project, targeted at developing domestic solar manufacturing capacity.

The SolarNL project was initiated with a one-time public subsidy of €312 million (~$367.21 million) to develop and scale manufacturing for three solar technologies: high-efficiency silicon heterojunction cells, flexible perovskite foils, and integrated solar products.

The first phase was awarded €135 million (~$159.24 million).

Earlier in the year, a request was submitted to convert the €110.7 million (~$130.58 million) conditionally allocated for the second phase into a definite award. The National Growth Fund (NGF) Advisory Committee had concluded that the conditions for successfully executing the SolarNL project were either partially or completely absent.

The conversion request for the first phase was denied.

Based on the advisory committee’s recommendations, The Netherlands recently decided not to retain the awarded €277 million (~$326.75 million) for the latter two phases. These funds will now be part of the NGF’s unallocated funds.

The Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth (KGG) will consult with relevant parties to assess the consequences for the SolarNL project resulting from the lapse of funds for its second and third phases.

The KGG ministry is considering a revised plan for this phase, which will be submitted to the advisory committee.

The Dutch cabinet will deploy €200 million (~$235.92 million) from the NGF to support the country’s participation in the IPCEI Advanced Semiconductor Technologies. This initiative aims to enhance the Dutch and European position in the global semiconductor industry.

NGF is investing €11.2 billion (~$13.21 billion) in 50 large-scale projects aimed at enhancing the country’s sustainable earning capacity. These projects cover green hydrogen, sustainable agriculture, combating low literacy, and developing key technologies such as quantum and artificial intelligence. The Dutch government has commissioned ABD Topconsult to conduct a study on optimizing the implementation of the 50 projects.

In 2023, the Netherlands presented a new climate package worth €28 billion (~$31 billion) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, in line with the European Union’s target of reducing net emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990.