The three northern provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe will get a total of €438m from European funds, junior economic affairs minister Mona Keijzer has told provincial officials.

Around 25% of the cash will come from a regional development fund and is meant to stimulate small firm innovation. The rest of the money comes from a new European fund set up to help pay for the transition to a gas-free economy. The money will go on creating jobs in the sustainable energy sector, Keijzer said.

The energy transition is having a major impact on the north as the natural gas fields under Groningen are closed down, costing hundreds of jobs and hitting support industries hard.

Rene Paas, the king’s commissioner in Groningen, said in a reaction that the funding from Brussels ‘gives the north a great opportunity to become the “green electricity plug” for all of the Netherlands.’