SDE++: Attachments

A feasibility study is required as an attachment of your application. Use the 'Model haalbaarheidsstudie' (Model feasibility study) below. For the mandatory components, see the 'Handleiding haalbaarheidsstudie' (Manual feasibility study).

It is important to carefully check the feasibility of your project before applying. There is no point in applying if your project is not possible. We also need to see if your business is not in trouble. For this, we use your recent annual accounts. The annual accounts are a required part of the feasibility study and show your company's equity. The European Commission has made this check mandatory.

Mandatory information in the feasibility study

The general part of the feasibility study must comprise of the following information:

• A description of the power generation facility.
• A comprehensive financing plan.
• Supporting document for own funds to be invested by the applicant, third parties or shareholders. Own funds must be substantiated by the applicant with documents (annual accounts/balance statements) demonstrating that the required resources (financial and otherwise) will be available when needed. If the applicant submits several projects, they must provide proof of funding to cover the total value of these projects.
• A declaration of intent from a financial backer if less than 20% of the total investment is covered by own funds.
• A calculation of the operational costs.
• For more complex facilities you must also include a process diagram.

Additional information Renewable gas projects

• A declaration of feed-in rights with price estimate provided by the grid operator (for connections larger than 40 Nm³/h).
• An energy yield calculation.

Additional information Renewable heat projects

• A substantiation of the heat output.
• An energy yield calculation.

Additional information Low carbon heat projects

• A substantiation of the heat output.
• An energy yield calculation.

Additional information Low carbon production projects

• A product yield calculation.

Additional questions

During our assessment, we may ask you additional questions about the feasibility of your project. You can find more information about the above requirements in the ‘Handleiding haalbaarheidsstudie’ and the 'Model haalbaarheidsstudie'.

Are you not the owner of the planned location for the production installation? Then you must have the ‘Model toestemming locatie-eigenaar' (location owner permission form) filled in and signed by the location owner. In this form, the owner gives you permission to install and operate the installation.

Are there several owners? Then all of them must give this permission in a signed form. This applies to all categories.

Important: the subsidy applicant or the person who fills out the form must be officially registered as the owner or leaseholder of the location, according to the land registry (Kadaster).

Right of superficies

Do you have a right of superficies obtained through a public tender for government-owned land and roofs? Then you do not need to include the form signed by the owner with your application. Instead, you must attach the preliminary agreement (‘Voorovereenkomst’) or land purchase agreement (‘Grondovereenkomst’) you have entered into with the Central Government Real Estate Agency to your subsidy application.

If your project is being implemented in a partnership, please include the following information: 

• A list of all the partners in the project.
• A partnership agreement  (Samenwerkingsverklaring) signed by all the partners in the project.

One or more permits are usually required to develop a power generation facility. These must have been issued by a competent authority before you submit your subsidy application. If you require a permit for your power generation facility, this permit must be attached to your subsidy application. This requirement was included in the Renewable Energy Production and Climate Transition Incentive Decree (‘Besluit SDEK’) to provide more certainty (and to speed up the process) when applying for subsidies under the scheme. As a general rule, the main components of a power generation facility will require permits to be in place. Permits or partial permits for other components, such as underground cables or pipelines, fencing, etc. are not required as part of your subsidy application.

Environmental permit for one or more parts of your project

An environmental permit may be needed for one or more parts of your project. For each category, it clearly states what kind of permit you need at least. Do you have an old permit that is still valid? If so, it must be valid for the same parts that now require a permit.

If you would like more information about environmental and planning permits, please visit the Omgevingsloket (service desk for environmental and planning permits). 

When applying for an SDE++ subsidy for wind energy over 100 kW, you must include a wind report with the feasibility study. The wind report must include a wind energy yield calculation. This is prepared by an organisation with expertise in the field of wind energy yield calculations. The average wind speed used in the wind report should be calculated based on local wind data over a period of at least 10 consecutive years. That average wind speed may not exceed the average wind speed for the location concerned as derived from the Windviewer. The Windviewer provides the average wind speed for every location in the Netherlands at every height from 20 to 260 metres. 

Small wind turbines

For small wind turbines with an output of less than 100 kW, you do not have to have an expert draw up a wind report. A simple energy yield calculation from your supplier will suffice. Include the result of that calculation in your application.

Do you want to apply for a subsidy for wind turbines with a height restriction? If so, please show this when you send your subsidy application. You can do this with a letter from the authority in charge, or by sending the part of the law or rules that shows there is a height restriction for your subsidy application.

For a subsidy application, you must always send a detailed drawing with the correct scale. This drawing should clearly show the solar PV system you want to install. Maps or photos that are not clear do not suffice. If installations at the planned location exist now or in the future, you must show this clearly. The drawing must also depict the direction of the installation.

Systems attached to a building

For solar PV systems attached to a building, calculate the available wall or roof surface. Remember to consider windows, skylights, and climate systems that are on or attached to the building. For solar PV on walls, you must show the exact direction of the system.

Are you placing your installation on or attached to a building? Then you must include a 'Verklaring van een constructeur' (Statement from a Structural Engineer) with your application. In this statement, the engineer confirms - based on calculations - that the roof or wall is strong enough. This is done according to the rules in the 'Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving' (Building Works and Living Environment Decree). The statement must match the project for which you are applying for the subsidy.

Are you applying under the category ‘building-mounted with light roof adjustments or lightweight panels’? Then the engineer must also state what changes are needed to make the structure suitable. The cost of these changes must be included in the feasibility study.

Hire a structural engineer

You must hire a structural engineer to do this study and to sign it. A structural engineer is someone who can make the necessary calculations. The engineer who signs the statement must also have done the calculations.

When your application is being reviewed, we may ask you to send the calculation report. We may also contact the engineer for an explanation.

Do you have a structural engineer in your organization who performs this study? Then this person may do the calculation and sign the statement.

You can read more about the required statement in the document called 'Informatieblad toelichting verklaring van een constructeur' (Information Sheet: Explanation of the Engineer's Statement).

Do you want to apply for a sun-tracking system? Then you must add an energy yield calculation to your feasibility study. We use this calculation to determine the maximum number of full load hours. You can read more about this requirement in the 'Handleiding haalbaarheidsstudie' (Feasibility study guide).

Will you use double-sided solar panels? Then you must add an explanation to your application. In this explanation, you show how these panels give more power than normal solar panels. You can also include a datasheet of the solar panel you plan to use.

• Environmental permit for a technical construction activity and a building plan activity for building.
  If you place your production installation on, in, or attached to a new building, you need a permit under the Environmental Act. For work on existing buildings, an environmental permit may also be required, for example, for a historic building or solar panels on a facade.
  • A ground-based shelter for parking vehicles (a carport) is also considered a building.
  • If you have obtained a right of superficies through a public tender from Rijksgronden and Rijksdaken, you only need a draft environmental permit.
  • Do you think you do not need a permit for the situations above? Please send a statement from the authority that issues permits, showing that no permit is needed.
     
• Environmental permit for an activity that pollutes the environment.
  If your production installation also needs a permit for an activity that pollutes the environment, include that too. Usually, this is part of the environmental permit for the construction activity.
   
• Environmental permit for Rijkswaterstaat activity.
  If your production installation is on or near work by Rijkswaterstaat, such as roads, viaducts, tunnels, bridges, or dikes, you probably need this permit. This was formerly called a Wbr permit.
   
• Environmental permit for a water activity.
  Your production installation might also need an environmental permit for a water activity. For example, if you apply for a subsidy for a water system, you might need this permit for your solar PV installation.

If you wish to apply for a subsidy to produce renewable electricity, you must include a transmission capacity statement from the grid operator. This must demonstrate that sufficient transmission capacity is available for the relevant location. The feed-in capacity in the transmission capacity estimate must be greater than 0. From the 2024 round of applications onwards, own use is no longer subsidised in all categories of Solar PV and wind. Ask your grid operator to prepare the transmission capacity statement for you. Because the transmission capacity of the electricity grid is subject to change, the transmission capacity statement must be issued specifically for the SDE++ 2024 round of applications. A transmission capacity statement requested for a previous round of application for the SDE+ or SDE++ scheme will not be sufficient. If you do not know who your grid operator is, consult the overview of EAN codes (‘Eancodeboek’). The transmission capacity statement is not a guarantee of transport capacity.

Location with little or no feed-in supply

If you are developing a project at a location with little or no feed-in supply, please also include an explanation with your application describing the technical consequences this will have for your project.

Connection to private grid

If you wish to connect your power generation facility to a private grid (closed-distribution system grid), you and the private grid operator must request a transmission capacity estimate from your national or regional grid operator. This is the grid operator who is responsible for the transfer point to which the private grid is connected.

When drawing up the transport indication, the grid operator bases itself on the example below.

Only the permit for the environmental planning activity is required. The part of the permit for the technical building activity is not required.

If you also need a permit for a polluting activity to build your production installation, you must include this as well. This permit is usually part of the environmental permit for the building activity.

Are you submitting an application for the category ‘Biogas fermentation with CHP’? Or for a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) category with CHP? Then you must include a transport indication from the grid operator for the electricity supply if your installation will be connected to a large-scale grid connection (more than 3 x 80 A). This document must show that there is enough transport capacity available at the location you are applying for. The transport indication must be issued for the application round in which you apply for the subsidy.

Connection to private grid

Are you connecting your installation to a private grid (GDS network)? Then you must request a transport indication together with the operator of the private grid from your national or regional grid operator. This refers to the grid operator responsible for the connection point of the private grid.

Will you supply heat to third parties? Then include a letter of intent for the offtake as an attachment with your application.

Are you applying for a biomass combustion or fermentation installation? Then you must include an energy production calculation with your feasibility study. You can read more about this requirement in the 'Handleiding haalbaarheidsstudie SDE+' (Feasibility Study Guide).

When applying for a subsidy, you must always include a detailed, to-scale drawing that clearly shows the planned production installation. Unclear maps or photos are not good enough. Will there be more installations at the same location? Then make this clear on the drawing. The drawing must also show the direction the installation is facing.

For installations on buildings, calculate the available roof area and take into account skylights and climate systems already on the roof.

Are you placing your production installation on or attached to a building? Then you must include een 'Verklaring van een constructeur' (Statement from a Structural Engineer) with your application.

In this form, a structural engineer gives a statement – based on a calculation – about the load-bearing capacity of the roof or wall, according to the 'Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving' (Living environment (buildings) decree). This statement must match the project for which you are applying for a subsidy.

Signed by a structural engineer

You must have the calculation and declaration made and signed by a structural engineer. A structural engineer is someone who can make the required calculations.

The engineer who signs the declaration must at least have checked the construction by calculation. During the review of your subsidy application, we may ask you to send us the calculation. We may also contact the engineer for more information about the statement.

Do you have a structural engineer in your own organization who can do this? Then they may make the calculation and sign the declaration.

You can read more about the required statement in the document 'Informatieblad toelichting verklaring van een constructeur’ (Explanation Sheet Structural Engineer’s Declaration).

A geological survey is required for geothermal energy projects. Please attach the geological survey report to your subsidy application. The TNO report 'Specificaties geologisch onderzoek voor geothermieprojecten – Rapportagevereisten SDE++ en RNES‘ (Specifications for geological surveys for geothermal energy projects – SDE+ and RNES reporting requirements) sets out the minimum requirements of the geological survey for your SDE++ subsidy application.

TNO can facilitate the geological survey. TNO has made the software package and DoubletCalc user guide available on NLOG, the Netherlands oil and gas portal. You can use DoubletCalc to calculate the P50 output. The user guide explains the method used to calculate the P50 output.

For the SDE++ scheme, the rated power output of the geothermal system must be determined with a probability of at least 50%.

• Environmental permit for a building activity in the zoning plan
  Only the permit for the zoning plan activity is required. The permit for the technical building activity itself is not required.

• Environmental permit for a polluting activity
  If a permit is needed for a polluting activity to build your production installation, you must include it as well. This permit is usually part of the environmental permit for building.

• Environmental permit for flora and fauna activity
  Does your project cause significant nitrogen emissions during the operational phase, such as biomass projects? Then include the environmental permit for flora and fauna activities with your application.

• Permits under the Mining Act
  Are you applying for a geothermal project? Then include the permit for drilling the geothermal source with your application. This may be an exploration or production permit (issued before 01-07-2023), or an 'area assignment' or 'starting permit' under the new Mining Act.

• Environmental permit for a water activity
  It is possible that your production installation also needs an environmental permit for a water activity.

Will you supply heat to third parties? Then include a letter of intent for the offtake as an attachment with your application.

To apply for an SDE++ subsidy for PVT panels combined with a heat pump, a feasibility study is required. When submitting your subsidy application, you must always include a detailed, scaled drawing showing the requested PVT installation clearly and accurately.

Other installations on the same location

If there are other installations at the proposed location (now or in the future), this must be clearly indicated. The drawing must also show the orientation of the installation.

Installation on a roof

Will your installation be placed on a roof? Then calculate the available roof area, and take into account obstacles such as skylights and climate control equipment already present on the roof.

Are you placing your installation on or attached to a building? Then you are required to include a 'Verklaring van een constructeur' (Statement from a Structural Engineer) with your application.

In this document, a structural engineer provides a statement – based on calculations – confirming that the roof meets the load-bearing requirements according to the 'Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving' (Building Structures Decree). The statement must match the specific project for which you are applying for the subsidy.

Signed by a structural engineer

The investigation must be carried out and signed by a structural engineer. A structural engineer is someone qualified to perform the required calculations. The structural engineer who signs the statement must have personally calculated the load-bearing capacity of the construction.

Do you have a structural engineer in your own organization? That person may perform the calculations and sign the statement.

During the assessment of your subsidy application, we may ask you to submit the actual structural calculations. We may also contact the structural engineer for clarification about the statement provided.

For more information about the roof load-bearing statement, see the documentin 'Informatieblad toelichting verklaring van een constructeur’ (Explanation Sheet Structural Engineer’s Declaration).

A geological survey is required for geothermal energy projects. Please attach the geological survey report to your subsidy application. The TNO report 'Specificaties geologisch onderzoek voor geothermieprojecten – Rapportagevereisten SDE++ en RNES‘ (Specifications for Geological Surveys for Geothermal Energy Projects – SDE+ and RNES reporting requirements) sets out the minimum requirements of the geological survey for your SDE++ subsidy application.

TNO can facilitate the geological survey. TNO has made the software package and DoubletCalc user guide available on NLOG, the Netherlands oil and gas portal. You can use DoubletCalc to calculate the P50 output. The user guide explains the method used to calculate the P50 output.

For the SDE++ scheme, the rated power output of the geothermal system must be determined with a probability of at least 50%.

With your application, you must include a map showing the intended pipeline route. On this map, clearly indicate:

• the pipeline diameters
• the pipeline length from the connection point (where the residual heat is extracted) to the end user of the residual heat.

Environmental permits may apply to one or more activities. For each category, it is indicated for which activity at least one permit must have been issued. If you already have an old permit for your project and it is still valid, you must at least have a valid permit for the same activities.

Permit for a spatial development activity (omgevingsplanactiviteit)

Only the permit for the spatial development activity is required. A permit for the technical construction work itself is not required.

Permit for an environmentally harmful activity

If your production installation requires a permit for an environmentally harmful activity, include this permit with your application. Usually, this is part of the environmental permit for construction activities.

Permit for a water-related activity

You may need this for aquathermal or Solar PVT systems. For example, this permit might be needed for a field or water-based Solar PV system.

Permit for a Rijkswaterstaat-related activity

If your installation is located on or near infrastructure managed by Rijkswaterstaat (such as highways, viaducts, tunnels, bridges, or dikes), this permit is likely required. This was previously known as the Wbr permit.

Permit under the Mining Act

If you are applying for a geothermal project, include the granted permit for drilling the geothermal source with your application. This may be an exploration or production permit (issued before 01-07-2023) or a “designated search area” or “start permit” under the new Mining Act.

Permits for parts of the installation

For your subsidy application, you may also need an Environmental Permit for parts of the production installation. This applies to the following cases:

• Aquathermal energy: for the installation that extracts heat from surface water (TEO) or releases heat from wastewater or drinking water (TEA or TED), possibly also for the ATES system (aquifer thermal energy storage), the central heat pump, and if a permit is required for the amount of refrigerant used in the heat pump.
• Solar PVT: for the PVT system, the heat pump, and if a permit is required for the amount of refrigerant used in the heat pump.
• Use of residual heat: for the heat transfer station, the extraction of residual heat at the source side, and possibly the heat pump.
• Industrial heat pump or process-integrated heat pump: if a permit is required for the amount of refrigerant used in the heat pump.
• Air-to-water heat pump: if a permit is required for the amount of refrigerant used in the heat pump.

You may only operate your hydrogen production installation when there is a surplus of renewable electricity. At other times, electricity use must be minimal to prevent greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, in your application, you must show that the installation can operate using only 1% of its maximum power capacity during those periods.

If you are not responsible for the transport and storage yourself, you must include one or more capacity availability statements with your CCS subsidy application. These statements must come from the party or parties that will handle the transport or permanent storage of the captured CO₂. This ensures that the requested capacity can actually be stored. To support your project, you must use the 'Modelverklaring transportcapaciteit' (Model statement on transport and storage capacity).

The party that provides the 'Modelverklaring transportcapaciteit' (Model statement on transport and storage capacity) must also include a report about the offered storage capacity. This report must follow the structure of the mandatory 'Modelrapport vereiste informatie transport- en opslagverklaring' (Model report required information tor transport and storage statement). The report may be no more than 80 pages.

In the feasibility study, you must explain how you will deliver the captured CO₂ to the greenhouse sector. For this, include documents such as the specification sheets of the CO₂ capture installation and a description of the process in which the CO₂ is released and captured. Also add a map showing the planned pipeline route or transport route from CO₂ capture to CO₂ delivery. In addition, state whether you, as the applicant, will transport the CO₂ yourself or if a third party will do this for you.

• Environmental permit for a construction activity under the environmental zoning plan. Only the permit for the zoning plan activity is mandatory. You do not need to include the technical construction permit itself.
• Environmental permit for a polluting activity. If your production installation requires a permit for a polluting activity, you must include this as well. This permit is usually part of the general construction permit.
• Environmental Permit for Flora and Fauna Activities. Does your project cause significant nitrogen emissions during the operational phase (e.g. biomass projects)? Then include the flora and fauna activity permit with your subsidy application.

Specific permit requirements

For CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) different permit conditions apply. If the permits for your installation have already been granted, include the full permits with your application. If not, you must submit at least the full permit application for the environmental part of the permit.
This applies to parts of the installation that must be new, such as:

• capture installation
• purification installation
• liquefaction installation (if applicable)

Monitoring progress of your project

To monitor progress you must submit the full permit application for the storage fields to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy within 1 year after the subsidy has been granted. You must submit the full environmental permit for the capture, purification, or liquefaction installation within 3 years after the subsidy has been granted.

For CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilisation) submit the full permit application for the environmental part of the permit.
This also applies to any new:

• capture installation
• purification installation
• liquefaction installation (for liquid CO₂ transport)

Liquid transport

For liquid transport, you must also include the full permit application, at least the environmental part, for the new liquefaction installation.