Expert Session: Energy from water moves up the political agenda

On 15 June, experts from across the Dutch energy-from-water sector gathered at the striking Provincial House of South Holland. The venue was fitting: the iconic building appears to flow like a wave through the landscape. Offshore For Sure was represented by Dutch Wave Power, Water2Energy and Bluespring.

During the expert session, developers, policymakers, investors and industry representatives explored a central question: what is needed to successfully demonstrate and scale energy-from-water technologies in the Netherlands?

While discussions ranged from permitting procedures to financing and offshore innovation space, one message consistently emerged: the technologies are ready to move into larger-scale deployment, but the enabling conditions must evolve alongside them. Momentum within the sector is real, but it is also fragile.

Access to testing space remains a major bottleneck. The technologies have been developed, the expertise is available and ambitions are high. What is still missing are sufficient designated and permitted locations at sea where innovations can be tested safely and further developed towards commercial deployment.

Marco van Steekelenburg (Province of South Holland) addressed one of the key themes of the afternoon: the availability of offshore space for innovation. While offshore wind has secured its place in the North Sea, innovative energy-from-water technologies are still searching for suitable locations to test and scale their systems. In particular, the sector needs sites closer to shore than today's offshore wind farms.

One policymaker highlighted that the sector itself can help government move faster. Rather than approaching authorities with the question "Are we allowed to do this?", he advocated a more partnership-oriented approach: present concrete proposals that demonstrate how a project can be implemented successfully. Clear, well-substantiated and manageable plans make it easier for policymakers and permitting authorities to engage constructively and move projects forward. Shift from "no" to "no, but here's how we get to a yes. As he put it: "Make it easy for us to say yes."

Alongside the development of a strategic agenda, participants discussed a possible short-term accelerator: the appointment of a quartermaster within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Similar to the strategy lead at the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, this person could help resolve bottlenecks, connect stakeholders and support the development of pilot projects, demonstrations and commercial applications while the broader strategy is being developed.

Beyond 2028, long-term support through innovation programmes remains uncertain. Energy from water is competing with other innovative technologies for limited public funding and government capacity. Continued advocacy and visibility therefore remain essential.

Discussions highlighted how regulatory and financial uncertainty make it difficult for start-ups to plan and grow. When procedures take too long, innovative offshore energy projects and highly skilled talent risk moving to countries such as Scotland and Belgium, where more room is being created for pilots, demonstrations and commercial deployment.

Against that backdrop, participants warned that the Netherlands risks losing another strategic industry, much as it did with wind energy, where much of the industrial value eventually shifted to Denmark. The opportunity still exists to take a leading position in energy from water: build the industry in the Netherlands and export the technology worldwide.

The session on tidal energy was chaired by Peter Scheijgrond (Bluespring). The Dutch delta is widely seen as a logical location for development, thanks to existing infrastructure such as storm-surge barriers and sluices. Provinces and municipalities are generally pragmatic and supportive. The main bottleneck lies with Rijkswaterstaat, the executive agency responsible for Dutch water infrastructure and management.

Climate challenges and governance
Within Rijkswaterstaat, two responsibilities come together: climate adaptation—protecting the country from water—and climate mitigation through contributions to renewable energy. At the same time, strategy and budget responsibilities often sit with the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In practice, this can lead to caution in permitting processes, partly because of previous project experiences and a perception that policy frameworks and ambitions from the economic side remain insufficiently defined.

Test sites and the path to bankability
Testing facilities and initiatives such as Offshore Proof—an international collaboration involving test sites in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands—aim to bridge the gap between early-stage technology development and commercial deployment. The goal is to establish a certified testing environment that supports both investment confidence and permitting decisions.

A clear project pipeline is essential
Investors emphasised the importance of demonstration projects operating at meaningful scale and remaining in operation for multiple years. These projects must be part of a visible and credible development pipeline. Without a clear path to follow-up projects, scaling remains uncertain and the absence of a domestic market can become a warning signal for international investors.

Permitting and practical experience
Projects in the Oosterschelde and Grevelingenmeer that demonstrated safe operation nevertheless became entangled in repeated assessments and extensive requirements related to issues such as fish safety, even when ecological relevance was limited or absent. In some cases, this has led to years of delay and significant costs for relatively small pilot projects. The sector therefore called for a more phased approach, in which assumptions are tested step by step and regulatory requirements better reflect the scale and maturity of individual projects.

The meeting made clear that the main barriers facing energy from water are institutional rather than technological. At the same time, the urgency is high. Without acceleration, talent and businesses may relocate abroad, while the sector itself is ready to move into its next phase of development.

The shared priorities are clear:

• Follow-up action on the proposal to appoint a quartermaster at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management;
• Formal recognition of energy from water as a matter of national importance;
• Availability of nearshore testing and demonstration space;
• A permitting framework that enables learning and experimentation rather than blocking innovation at an early stage;
• A realistic scale-up pathway from pilot to demonstration to commercial deployment;
• Development of a predictable project pipeline that supports investment and industrial growth.

With growing political attention, the forthcoming strategic agenda and the international ICOE-OEE 2026 conference in The Hague, significant opportunities exist to build momentum and accelerate the development of energy from water in the Netherlands.