State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief (Economic Affairs and Climate) has issued a permit to drill for gas above the Wadden Islands. That made the Ministry announced on Wednesday. This is a gas field that is located 19 kilometers above Schiermonnikoog and that is being put into use by both the Netherlands and Germany.
The first gas is expected to be produced by the end of 2024. To get it ashore, a pipeline is laid from the production platform. In addition, there will be a cable to a German wind farm. The power from that park is used on the platform.
The German state of Lower Saxony initially saw little in gas extraction in the North Sea and refused a permit last year. The state government recently changed its mind due to the war in Ukraine and the associated uncertainty about gas supplies from Russia. Germany therefore wants to issue a permit more quickly. The Netherlands has already done so.
Drilling for gas above the Wadden Sea meets resistance from nature organizations. Residents and local authorities of Schiermonnikoog and the German Wadden island of Borkum also see nothing in the plans. For example, Schiermonnikoog mayor Ineke van Gent said that a gas platform is old-fashioned and outdated.
According to Vijlbrief, the plans meet all environmental requirements. In order to remove the resistance of residents and organizations, various adjustments have been made to previous plans. For example, the platform will be located further from the coast and it will be placed further away from an oyster project. The plan will be available for inspection from 3 June, both online and in the municipalities of Schiermonnikoog and Borkum.
Another project includes plans to drill for gas in the Wadden Sea above the Frisian village of Ternaard. There is also a lot of resistance to this. The UN organization Unesco, among others, expressed its concerns about the possible damage to the Wadden area, which is a world heritage site. UNESCO is expected to discuss the matter later this year.