Green Deal funds for Energy Academy

As part of the Green Deal, the Cabinet has made funds available for the Energy Academy.

The Minister of Economic Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, has allocated EUR 6 million to the Energy Academy (higher education) and the Energy College (MBO, senior secondary vocational education), to fund programmes on sustainable energy. Together they will be training highly skilled experts and researchers at all levels.

The government providing EUR 6 million is a good start, says President of the Board of the University of Groningen, Sibrand Poppema. About EUR 100 million will be needed for the first ten years. The initiators hope to be allocated about EUR 12 million from the ‘Zuiderzee Line’ funds, ‘but we shall also seek other sources of funding by holding discussions with energy companies such as GasTerra, RWE, Essent and Nuon’, says Poppema.

As part of the Green Deal, the Cabinet has signed agreements involving more green growth and a more sustainable society with some sixty companies and government bodies. The government will ensure that advice is provided and that rules and regulations are applied more flexibly. A number of the Green Deal projects will strengthen the status of the northern Netherlands as an Energy Hub.

Please also see the previous press release Energy Academy wants to be European leader (in Dutch: Energy Academy wil toonaangevend in Europa zijn)