Innovation and institutional change: the transition to a sustainable ...

Stability and transformation in the electricity system 81
potential of cogeneration for energy saving became apparent, gas re-entered
the scene as the preferential resource for power generation.
Figure 4.2 Input shares of primary sources for electricity generation, central
producers, 1967 – 1998
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
Sources: SEP & VEEN/EnergieNed (1988 – 1999); VDEN (1980).
The technological base of the Dutch electricity system
Uranium
Natrual gas
Fuel oil
Figure 4.3 provides an overview of main technology types for electricity
generation. Until 1975 electricity generation technology mainly consisted of
steam turbine technology. The only serious alternative under consideration
until the seventies was nuclear technology. The electricity producers built
the first nuclear plant, based on the boiling water reactor technology, in 1968
in Dodewaard. A second plant was built in Borssele in 1973. This plant was
based on the pressurised water reactor technology and also owned by the
producers. Growth of electricity demand in the period between 1950 and
1975 led to an annual increase of installed capacity of around 500 MW and
facilitated the construction of larger units. Technical and economic
characteristics of steam turbines in that time are large-scale production, long
construction times, long-term investments and high capital intensity (Islas,
1997). The scale of the generation units increased rapidly until the middle of
the eighties. Table 4.1 illustrates this increase in scale of generation units
throughout the years.
Coal