Do the Netherlands’ Trains Really Run on 100% Wind Power? The Truth Behind the Claim

 For years, headlines have celebrated the Netherlands as a pioneer in sustainable transportation, with reports proclaiming that all Dutch trains are now powered entirely by wind. The image is a compelling one: sleek electric trains gliding through flat, green landscapes, propelled only by the breeze.

But as is often the case with grand environmental claims, the reality is a bit more complex. While the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the Dutch national railway company, can say it has a “100% wind-powered” network on paper, the actual source of electricity powering the trains is far more mixed—and still heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

The Origins of the Claim

In 2017, NS proudly announced that all of its electrified train network was running on wind-generated electricity. The news made waves internationally, painting the Netherlands as a model for clean public transit.

The claim stems from a contract between NS and Eneco, a major Dutch energy supplier, under which enough electricity from wind farms would be produced annually to match the energy needs of the country’s electric trains—about 1.2 to 1.4 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year. This agreement includes power from domestic wind farms as well as from facilities in Belgium and Finland.

The key phrase here is “produced annually to match.” This is where the story begins to depart from the popular perception.

The Role of Guarantees of Origin

The mechanism behind the “100% wind” label is something called a Guarantee of Origin (GoO). In essence, a GoO is a certificate that confirms a certain amount of renewable electricity was generated and fed into the grid somewhere in Europe. These certificates can be traded separately from the physical electricity itself.

This means NS does not receive power directly from wind turbines. Instead, wind farms generate electricity and feed it into the European grid, while NS purchases the equivalent amount in GoOs to claim its trains are powered by renewable energy.

From an accounting perspective, this checks out. From a physics perspective, however, electricity is indistinguishable once it’s in the grid. The power actually running Dutch trains at any given moment is a mix that reflects the overall generation sources feeding into the national grid—which, in the Netherlands, is still dominated by natural gas and coal.

The Netherlands’ Actual Energy Mix

To understand why the “100% wind” claim is more symbolic than literal, it helps to look at the country’s electricity sector.

• Natural gas makes up about 61% of installed capacity.

• Coal accounts for around 15%.

• Wind power contributes about 13% of capacity (around 4,117 MW).

In practice, gas and coal together supply roughly 80% of the Netherlands’ electricity. Wind provides around 7% of domestic generation, though when combined with imports, wind accounts for roughly 11% of total consumption.

This means that while NS consumes the same annual amount of electricity as the output from the wind farms it has contracted with, the actual electrons moving through the wires to its trains come from a variety of sources—mostly fossil fuels.

Imported Wind Energy: Belgium and Finland

Another twist is that only half of the wind power NS claims comes from Dutch wind farms. The other half is imported from Belgium and Finland.

• Belgium generates about 10% of its electricity from wind.

• Finland’s wind share is much smaller, at around 2%.

Once power enters the European grid, it flows where it’s needed, mixing with electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and other sources. By the time electricity from Finland reaches the Netherlands, any specific link to wind generation is effectively gone.

The Intermittency Challenge

Wind power is inherently variable. There are days when wind generation is strong and days when it drops to near zero. For example, data from Belgium (which has a similar wind profile to the Netherlands) shows that capacity factors can fall into the single digits during calm periods.

If Dutch trains were truly running on wind power in real time, service would be at the mercy of the weather. Calm, windless days would mean empty train stations and frustrated commuters. The reality is that fossil fuel plants—or sometimes imports from nuclear-heavy countries like France—fill in the gaps when wind output is low.

Why the Claim Still Has Value

Critics argue that the “100% wind” branding is misleading, but there’s a legitimate reason NS uses it. By committing to buy large quantities of wind-generated electricity (at least on paper), NS provides a steady revenue stream for renewable energy developers.

This demand can help fund the construction of new wind farms, which, over time, may increase the actual share of renewable energy in the grid. In that sense, NS’s contract with Eneco does contribute to a greener electricity mix—just not in the direct, physical way that many passengers might imagine.

The Fine Print

It’s worth noting that NS never claimed all trains run on wind—only the electrified ones, which make up about two-thirds of its network. Diesel-powered trains, which still operate on non-electrified routes, obviously run on fossil fuels.

Even with electrification, the power supply reality doesn’t match the marketing. Passengers might picture their train being fed a direct line from a spinning wind turbine, but in truth, it’s being powered by whatever mix is available from the grid at that moment.

The Bigger Picture on Green Branding

The NS case is far from unique. Many companies make similar claims about running on “100% renewable energy” thanks to renewable energy certificates (RECs) or Guarantees of Origin. While these instruments play an important role in financing clean energy, they can create a disconnect between perception and reality.

For the average commuter, the difference may not seem important—the end result is the same train journey. But from an energy policy perspective, the distinction matters. If countries and companies overstate their use of renewables, it can obscure the real challenge of decarbonizing energy systems that still rely heavily on fossil fuels.

Conclusion: A Step Forward, But Not the Whole Journey

So, do the Netherlands’ trains really run on 100% wind power? On paper—yes. In physical reality—no. The power propelling most Dutch trains still comes largely from natural gas and coal plants, with wind making up only a small fraction of the mix at any given time.

That doesn’t mean NS’s wind power initiative is meaningless. Its contracts help stimulate renewable energy investment, and over time, a larger share of the actual electricity in the grid will come from wind. But for now, the claim is best understood as a financial and symbolic commitment rather than a literal description of what’s flowing through the wires.

The next time you see a sleek Dutch train speeding past tulip fields, you can still appreciate the role it plays in reducing car travel and supporting clean energy—just remember that the wind in your hair probably isn’t the same wind in the train’s motor.