Cabinet takes measures for energy security | news item

News item | 20-06-2022 | 17:30

The cabinet decided today to declare the first level of a gas crisis: the ‘early warning’. This brings the Gas Protection and Recovery Plan into effect. Russia currently supplies much less gas to Europe than agreed, increasing the risk of gas shortages in Europe. There is currently no gas shortage in the Netherlands.

The cabinet is taking this step to prepare the Netherlands as best as possible for the winter period. With the entry into force of the Protection and Recovery Plan, gas companies must share detailed information about gas supplies with the government on a daily basis. As a result, the government can monitor the gas market even more closely and take additional measures if the situation so requires. The cabinet will also lift the production restriction for coal-fired power stations with immediate effect to save gas for filling the gas storage facilities, and announce a national target for energy savings and a temporary gas-saving tender.

Early Warning

The Gas Protection and Recovery Plan contains the measures that the Netherlands can take if there is a threat of a gas shortage. The ‘early warning’ is the first of a total of three crisis levels. There are currently no acute gas shortages in the Netherlands, but the declining gas supplies could have consequences. For example, for energy prices and for filling gas storage facilities in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe, which is necessary to ensure that sufficient gas is available for the coming winter period. With the declaration of the first level of a gas crisis, gas companies must provide additional detailed information on current gas supplies and stocks on a daily basis. This will enable the cabinet to monitor the gas market even more closely and immediately take additional measures if the situation so requires.

Call less gas consumption

The urgency to save energy has increased further due to the declining supplies of Russian gas. The cabinet is therefore making an urgent appeal to companies and households to (continue to) save as much energy as possible, even in the summer. On 4 July, the Energy Saving Campaign ‘Turn the button too’ will continue with new saving advice for companies and households, aimed at the summer period. Part of the campaign for companies is a tool for SMEs with which entrepreneurs can immediately see which energy-saving and sustainability measures they can take in their company and which subsidies are available for this. The cabinet is also tightening up the energy saving obligation for companies and will work out a national target for energy saving.

Coal-fired power stations and gas-saving scheme

Because the risk of gas shortages has increased, the cabinet has decided today to withdraw the production restriction for coal-fired power stations for 2022 to 2024 with immediate effect. This means that the coal-fired power stations are allowed to produce at full capacity again, so that less gas is needed for the production of electricity by gas-fired power stations. This reduces the risk of gas shortages and makes it easier to fill the gas storage facilities in the Netherlands and Europe. The aim is to fill the gas storage facilities in the Netherlands further this year than has been agreed at European level. The cabinet will shortly come up with additional measures to reduce the extra CO₂to offset emissions from coal-fired power stations. And in the short term, will work out a temporary gas saving tender that will give large gas consumers a financial incentive to reduce their gas consumption.

Groningen

State Secretary Vijlbrief informed the House of Representatives today that Groningen field will be lit up in October this year, as promised. The cabinet wants to be able to close the Groningen field in 2023. Due to the uncertain geopolitical developments, State Secretary Vijlbrief has decided not to close any wells definitively this year.

Minister Jetten for Climate and Energy: “It is clear that Russia uses energy as a means of power. Where previously specific companies or countries no longer received gas, we now see that the total gas supplies from Russia to Europe are declining rapidly. This means that it is without additional measures. We can no longer guarantee that we will be able to fill the gas storage facilities in Europe and the Netherlands sufficiently in preparation for the winter. The cabinet is therefore issuing an ‘early warning’ so that we can monitor gas supplies even more closely. I would like to emphasize that there are currently no gas shortages we are taking these measures to prepare ourselves as well as possible, having had to make difficult choices, including withdrawing the production ceiling for coal-fired power stations, which leads to extra CO₂emissions in the Netherlands and we want to compensate with additional measures. Because every cubic meter of gas counts from now on, the cabinet is also making an urgent appeal to companies and households to save as much energy as possible, even in the summer.”