Bom-Lemstra: ‘The Netherlands must follow German energy support ceiling of € 2 million’
just under 10% of the greenhouse growers expect to stop. This is evident from a poll by Greenhouse Horticulture in the Netherlands. Three quarters have to intervene heavily in business operations. These companies have not been helped with the Energy Cost Reimbursement (TEK), expects Adri Bom Lemstra, chairman of Greenhouse Horticulture Netherlands. “Other energy-intensive SMEs are much better supported. Why is that not possible for our sector?”
What does the TEK scheme benefit greenhouse horticulture?
“The Energy Cost Compensation as it stands now, nobody cares about that. One of the conditions is that the energy costs are higher than 12.5%. 95% of Dutch SMEs do not achieve this. Greenhouse horticulture does comply with this, but is part of the agricultural sector, and that sector may not receive more than € 62,000 per company. Greenhouse horticulturists see their costs in the thousands, sometimes millions. Then such a low amount is of no use to you.”
Is that better arranged for other SMEs?
“Yes, non-agricultural companies can receive a maximum of €160.00 in support from the cabinet. In Germany this is even higher. There, companies can receive from their extra energy costs up to a maximum of € 2 million. That is a political choice that the government should also make. And don’t say ‘that is not allowed by Europe’, because that is not correct. It is allowed, just look at our eastern neighbors.”
Is that also possible for greenhouse horticulture?
“Then greenhouse horticulture must first be recognized by the EU as an energy-intensive sector, for which the aid limit is € 25 million per company. Until then, we are stuck with that € 62,000. It is important that agriculture minister Adema in Brussels advocates this position for greenhouse horticulture in the law.”
Some people see a crisis as a kind of natural selection that leaves the healthiest companies.
“I don’t think that’s well thought out. Many companies have been completed, including healthy ones. Horticulture has been a careful chain for many years and is now in danger of collapsing. Businesses have already gone bankrupt or moved abroad. Transporters have fewer products to transport, packaging manufacturers have to scale down their production, greenhouse builders see their order books dry up. It will take years for those companies to run normally again, if at all. I don’t see this situation going away any time soon.”
The only way out of this crisis is the energy transition
What solution do you see?
“The only way out of this crisis is the energy transition. There are two hurdles in this regard: a shortage of liquidity, companies are running less turnover. This requires a bridging mechanism, such as a guarantee scheme from a TEK. But then you have to design the TEK well, otherwise € 3 billion will remain on the shelf.
The other hurdle is the investment SDE scheme for existing cases, where the subsidy exists at the gas price. This leads to the heat transition coming to a standstill.”
Does the government take greenhouse horticulture seriously enough?
“The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate wants to keep the energy transition going and is working hard to achieve this. However, this is legally difficult. And as for the TEK, I think it’s weird if there is €3 billion available for business and no one can call on it. What are we doing? I wonder if there is political will to resolve this. Everything has taken way too long.”