The municipality of Rotterdam and the province of South Holland express their appreciation for the support package presented today by the cabinet for the industry, which includes a subsidy of nearly €500 million to alleviate high energy costs and the removal of the plastic tax, marking an important step towards restoring the investment climate in the port and industrial cluster.

Rotterdam and South Holland emphasize that they see this package as a beginning, not an endpoint. The structural challenges remain considerable, not least due to the lack of a breakthrough regarding nitrogen space.

The support package released by the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth on April 25 aligns with several points in the recent letter from Rotterdam and South Holland. The cabinet is also focusing on boosting hydrogen production and market demand for hydrogen. Investment is being made in Aramis, a large CO₂ storage project under the North Sea. By also covering the risk of disappointing demand, this project has a greater chance of success.

The Stimulation Scheme for Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition (SDE++) is also becoming available again. Companies and non-profit organizations that generate renewable energy on a large scale or reduce CO2 emissions can receive subsidies for this. A total of €8 billion is available for this scheme.

Furthermore, the temporary Investment Subsidy Scheme for Climate-Neutral Chemistry (IKC) (opens in a new window) is extended by 3 years (a total of €497 million is available for this) and the plastic tax and standard are off the table.

Nevertheless, concerns remain about the net rates in the longer term and the national CO₂ tax. The CO₂ tax will be adjusted but will remain in place.

Councilor Robert Simons (Port and Economy, municipality of Rotterdam): The cabinet shows with these support measures that it has taken our letter seriously. This is good news for employment in our city, an important step towards a level playing field in Europe, and essential for restoring trust among companies that have been under pressure for a long time. But it is not time to rest on our laurels. Without consistent long-term policy, our competitive position and strategic autonomy remain vulnerable.

Deputy Arne Weverling (Transition Port and Industry, province of South Holland): “For the cabinet, it is a balancing act between sustainability and improving the competitive position of our industry. With the measures currently on the table, the cabinet shows that it wants to do justice to all interests involved. And to take into account the importance of our industry for the Dutch economy and autonomy. That does not mean that we are there yet. Major challenges such as nitrogen and grid congestion must be resolved to achieve the cabinets goals on energy transition and sustainability and to improve the investment climate. I look forward to Prinsjesdag and the plans for the long term.”

The municipality of Rotterdam and the province of South Holland remain committed to a competitive, sustainable, and innovative industrial cluster – with the joint ambition of being the most progressive cluster in the world by 2050. Both look forward to the debate on the Spring Memorandum and additional proposals from the House of Representatives.