Peak tax payers dominate the nitrogen rights market

The market for nitrogen rights is not yet in full swing. Compared to the market for animal and phosphate rights, the trade is much more complex. Peak loaders can make the difference here.

The calculations with the Aerius model play a crucial role. The chairman of the STAF Foundation, John Spithoven, recently posted a manual online that makes it technically possible to calculate the effect of buying and selling nitrogen rights yourself, but the average buyer and seller remains dependent on the consultancy firms that specialize in these calculations. .

Investico and Wageningen
In recent weeks it has become increasingly clear that peak loaders can play a major role in the price of nitrogen rights. Investico's publication, which showed that a single peak loader on the Veluwe can have more effect than all traffic measures added together, underlines the great importance of the location of companies that want to buy or sell nitrogen rights. Of course, this is only a model-based calculation and not an actual measured nitrogen deposition, but it is a fact that since mid-October the Aerius model has been used for calculations when granting permits.

Last week, Wageningen University and Research published a research report that is in line with the conclusions of the Investico journalists. The Wageningen researchers also conclude that the purchase of peak loaders in the province of Gelderland results in the largest deposition reduction on the Natura 2000 areas in Gelderland on average. It is not the emission of nitrogen that determines the effect, but where the nitrogen precipitates and on what type of nature. According to the Wageningen researchers, buying peak loaders in the western part of the Veluwe has the most effect. This concerns a limited group of large intensive livestock farms (poultry and veal calves) with relatively little land.

Not just peak loaders
According to Peter Drenth, deputy of the Province of Gelderland and chairman of the interprovincial IPO consultation, it is clear that companies with the most impact on nature should be looked at. Drenth: "Buying up companies haphazardly provides little benefit to nature, but does a lot of damage to the agricultural sector, a sector that we need for a liveable and vigorous countryside. This first analysis from Wageningen is part of a broader study. to more measures, such as the national termination scheme for livestock farming."

Drenth is counting on the national termination scheme for livestock farming to start at the beginning of 2021. The government has reserved €1 billion for this. Drenth: "With these measures, the province of Gelderland is not only focusing on purchases. We are also looking at innovation and relocation of companies. Because this also reduces nitrogen precipitation on nature."

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