News item | 14-03-2022 | 4:00 pm
The government is taking measures to reduce dependence on gas from Russia as quickly as possible and to ensure the availability of sufficient gas for the coming winter. Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy) and State Secretary Vijlbrief (Mining) wrote this to the House of Representatives today. The measures are aimed at preparing for the coming winter by importing more (liquefied) gas from other countries and ensuring that the gas storages are sufficiently filled. Save more energy, so that less gas is needed. And accelerate sustainability and produce more renewable energy.
Minister Jetten: “The war in Ukraine, high energy prices and concerns about the gas supply make it clear once again that the Netherlands and Europe are too dependent on the import of fossil fuels. That is why we are making preparations to ensure that there is enough gas available next winter and we are taking measures to reducing dependence on Russian gas is a complex task that involves dilemmas in which we need to find the right balance between the reliability, affordability, sustainability and safety of our energy supply. The national government will shortly start an energy-saving campaign to bring the possibilities for sustainability even better to the attention of both companies and households.”
Measures for next winter
Due to the exceptionally high gas prices and additional risks of losses, it is currently not attractive for companies to fill the gas storages sufficiently. The government therefore wants to take additional measures in the short term to guarantee that the gas storages that are not covered by the existing government agreements (Norg Agreement) are also sufficiently filled by 1 October. Various options will be developed for this in the coming weeks, such as intervening through market incentives by covering price risks, filling obligations for gas storage facilities and filling the gas storage facilities by a party designated by the government. In addition to rapid deployability, limiting financial and market-disrupting risks is central to this.
In addition, the government is taking measures to increase the import capacity of liquefied gas (LNG) in the Netherlands in the short term. This makes it possible to import more gas from other countries. This can be done by expanding the capacity of the existing LNG terminal in Rotterdam, where LNG is converted to gas-forming natural gas, resulting in approximately 5 to 8 billion m3 gas can be imported extra per year. Another possibility is the deployment of a floating LNG facility in the Eemshaven, which will supply approximately 4 billion m3 additional gas can be imported. Network company Gasunie and the Ministry of Economic Affairs are working out both options and will make a decision as soon as possible.
Faster sustainability
Saving energy and switching to sustainable energy more quickly makes the Netherlands and Europe less dependent on fossil fuels and also contributes to the climate goals. The cabinet wants to take measures to reduce the energy consumption of companies, the government and households more quickly and to scale up the expansion of sustainable energy production. For example, by accelerating the insulation of (rental) houses, tightening up the energy-saving obligation for companies, scaling up the production of green gas and accelerating the installation of solar energy and wind turbines at sea. In addition, the national government will soon start a campaign to draw attention to the possibilities of energy-saving measures and practical tips among households and companies.
crisis plans
The cabinet is also sending the updated National Electricity Crisis Plan and the National Gas Crisis Plan to the House of Representatives today. The National Crisis Plans are part of a long-term trajectory and were drawn up prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The plans describe what the government and the crisis organizations involved are doing to limit the social impact as much as possible in the event of a serious disruption in the Dutch electricity or gas supply. The National Gas Crisis Plan is an addition to the previously published Gas Protection and Recovery Plan (BHG). The BCR describes the measures that the government can take to limit the effects of a gas crisis on the gas system as much as possible and to continue to supply protected customers with gas for as long as possible.