News item | 14-04-2023 | 2:20 pm
The Netherlands and Europe made it through the winter without physical gas shortages and the Netherlands is in better shape towards next winter than last year. The import capacity for liquefied gas (LNG) has expanded in both the Netherlands and neighboring countries, households and businesses are using less gas – partly due to the high prices – and there is much more gas in storage than last year. At the same time, Russia now supplies much less gas to Europe than at the beginning of last year and the tightness on the European gas market and the risk of shortages have not disappeared. The government is therefore taking new measures to prevent gas shortages. It also remains necessary to save energy in the coming year. This is what Minister Jetten and State Secretary Vijlbrief write to the House of Representatives in the update on the security of gas supply in the Netherlands.
Save energy
Dutch households, companies and other organizations recently consumed about 30% less gas than the average of the past five years. This means that the average annual consumption has fallen from about 41 billion cubic meters to 31 billion cubic meters. This is partly due to the high energy prices and the mild winter. Gas consumption in industry has also fallen sharply, partly due to high prices and efficiency measures. From mid-May, the government will once again start the energy-saving campaign ‘Turn the switch’ with practical advice to businesses and households on how to save energy.
Fill gas storages
With an average of 58.1%, the gas storage facilities in the Netherlands are much better filled than last year around this period (21.3%, as at 1 April). The government wants the gas storage facilities in the Netherlands to be filled to an average of at least 90% again this spring. Another subsidy scheme has been announced for filling the Bergermeer gas storage, the largest freely accessible gas storage in Western Europe, to encourage companies to fill the storage. In addition, state-owned company EBN will partly fill the storage, insofar as companies do not do so. The Grijpskerk and Alkmaar gas storages are filled to 100%. Gas storage Norg is currently more than 80% full. Norg’s filling level for the winter depends on market conditions and possible future agreements on additional filling.
Gas imports
The import of liquefied gas plays an important role in replacing gas from Russia. The import capacity of liquefied gas (LNG) in the Netherlands doubled last year from 12 billion cubic meters to 24 billion cubic meters per year. For this purpose, a new floating terminal has been constructed in Eemshaven (+8 billion m3) and the existing terminal in Rotterdam has been expanded (+4 billion m3). The terminals in Eemshaven and Rotterdam will be gradually expanded to a total capacity of 30 billion m3 in 2026. Various studies are also underway into further expansion of the import capacity in the Netherlands.
In an EU context, the Netherlands is committed to the joint purchase of gas. To this end, the European Commission is working on a purchasing platform with which companies from different EU countries can jointly purchase gas. The aim is to be able to purchase gas under better conditions. The first procurement rounds are expected to start in May.