News item | 31-01-2023 | 3:55 pm
It is possible to close the gas field in Groningen as of 1 October 2023, provided there is sufficient imported gas next year. In 2018, four conditions were set for closing the Groningenveld, and these conditions have been met. State Secretary Vijlbrief (Mining) announced this to the House of Representatives today.
pilot light
The Groningenveld is currently on the pilot light. This means that a minimal amount of gas is extracted, so that the wells can remain open. Gasunie (GTS) advises to keep the Groningen field on the pilot light for another year from 1 October this year due to the uncertain international situation due to the war in Ukraine. The cabinet will decide in June whether that is possible.
‘Good news’
State Secretary Vijlbrief (Mining): “Everything in my power to close the Groningen field has almost been realised. That is good news. Because gas extraction in Groningen is dangerous. At the same time, the supply of sufficient high-calorific gas next year is by no means certain due to the war in Ukraine. The starting point remains that I want to close Groningen in October or at the latest October next year.”
Conditions met
The Grijpskerk gas storage facility has been converted from high- to low-calorific ‘Groningen gas’. That has been achieved in recent months. Another condition is that the export of low-calorific gas is reduced considerably in good cooperation with neighboring countries. Five of the nine large-scale consumers of low-calorific gas in the Netherlands have also switched to high-calorific gas. Finally, it was announced last week that the new nitrogen plant in Zuidbroek will be fully operational by 1 October at the latest. That is a considerable delay, but in time for the closure of the Groningen gas field. This factory will produce low-calorific gas by adding nitrogen to (mostly) imported high-calorific gas.
Less demand for low-calorific gas
The conditions for closing Groningen are aimed at using and supplying less low-calorific gas. Gas from Groningen is low-calorific, in contrast to high-calorific gas that is extracted in most other places in the world.