Zeeuwind, one of the largest renewable energy cooperatives in the Netherlands, was established in 1987 with 25 members to create an alternative to nuclear energy, and today the number of members has reached approximately 3500 people.
Willemien de Jong, director of the Zeeuwind Cooperative, answered my questions by e-mail. I would like to thank her for sharing their experiences with readers in Türkiye, a country where renewable energy cooperatives are still in their infancy.
When was your cooperative founded, and how did the founders get together?
Our cooperative was founded in 1987 (we started off with three wind turbines). The founders had one thing in common: they wanted an alternative to nuclear energy.
What was the purpose of founding the cooperative?
To offer an alternative to nuclear energy. A few years later, Zeeuwind wanted to offer an alternative to fossil fuelled energy as well. Zeeuwind’s mission nowadays is to accelerate the energy transition in the province of Zeeland.
What was the initial number of members in your cooperative, and how many are there now? What are you doing to increase your membership?
In the early days of its existence, Zeeuwind had only 25 members. Today, we have approximately 3500 members, which also makes Zeeuwind one of the largest sustainable energy cooperatives in the Netherlands.
Could you tell us about the profile of your members (do they all live in the same place, do they all use the same type of electricity, etc.)?
Although we are one of the largest sustainable energy cooperatives in the country, when it comes to developing energy projects, we strongly focus on the Dutch southwestern province of Zeeland. Dutch-speaking people will find this in our name Zeeuwind as well: ‘Zeeuw’ means inhabitant of Zeeland, ‘wind’ stands for wind (we started solely with wind energy). Furthermore, the contraction of the two words sounds like ‘sea wind’ (or ‘zeewind’) to the Dutch-speaking.
Our strong connection to Zeeland means that most of our members are based in Zeeland, though we do have members outside the province.
Most of our members have chosen Zeeuwind out of shared conviction: energy from renewable sources is best for our future. They borrow Zeeuwind money to aim for this greater cause. In return, our members receive an interest of 4 %, which is higher than people receive on loans from the bank. In most years, there is also an attractive distribution of profits on top of the interest.
Does your cooperative have members from other countries?
Yes, in fact, we do have members living abroad (Australia, Austria, Belgium, England, France, Italy, Germany, etc.), but it’s fair to say that they all have Dutch roots, except for some Belgians who are living very close to the Zeeland border.
How was the cooperative financed? Did you receive support from the government or any other organisation to set up the cooperative?
There was no support from our government , and we still aren’t funded by them. Our entire capital has come from members. Together, they have built up Zeeuwind to what it is today.
What is the total installed capacity and annual electricity production (kWh) of the cooperative? What type of energy production do you have?
Though Zeeuwind initially started off with only wind energy production (three wind turbines in 1987), our portfolio has expanded a lot since then. Nowadays, both wind and solar are our sources of energy. We develop, own, and manage wind and solar farms. We often seek co-ownership with other parties in larger projects like Windpark Krammer (the biggest citizens’ initiative in the Netherlands). When it comes to wind and solar, we only develop onshore, that is where our expertise lies. Our total installed capacity is approximately 240 MW. Our yearly electricity production exceeds 600.000 MWh.
In addition, we explore innovative energy solutions like Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), hydrolyzers and micro heating networks, and finally, we try to make the energy transition inclusive by helping households in saving energy and money. The latter is what we do under the name of Energiek Zeeland.
Do you only sell electricity to your members?
No, most of our energy is sold to businesses. Some directly to energy companies and some by Power Purchase Agreements to companies who request a large amount of green energy, like Holland Malt, which is the first zero-emission malthouse in the world. We also sell electricity directly to consumers, but that is only a very small portion of our sales.
How is the cooperative managed?
Although Zeeuwind is among the biggest energy cooperatives in the Netherlands, with about 3500 members but we count only 15 employees, including an executive board. We work closely together with the authorities, organizations, and companies to get all the work done. Cooperation is part of our DNA and is necessary to turn ideas into successes.
A supervisory board meets regularly to approve on the decisions made by the Zeeuwind management team. And, above all, we organize general membership meetings twice a year. This is the highest organ in our association.
In your opinion, what are the success factors for developing a cooperative?
A shared goal and mindset.
In your opinion, what are the obstacles to the development of a cooperative?
Lack of experience in organizing and business.
What are your future plans for the cooperative?
To perpetuate our cooperative mission together with our members and partners by producing more sustainable energy and innovative energy solutions, and, in the meanwhile, ensuring that the energy transition remains achievable for everyone.
What advice do you have for people who want to found a renewable energy cooperative?
Value cooperation with other parties in order to be really successful.
Finally, do you have any messages you would like to pass on?
Our future will be brighter when we work together, and we deeply believe that cooperatives can and will make the difference in making our world a better place.
