Filling the Norg gas storage near Langelo will cost the Dutch state 8.5 billion euros this year. This is evident from the budget of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Another 3.5 billion has been budgeted for 2023 and 2024. Due to the increased gas price, the amounts are a lot higher than what was previously taken into account.
Before gas extraction in Groningen was scaled back, the gas storage was filled with gas from the Groningen field. Nowadays this is done (to a large extent) with gas that is purchased elsewhere.
The state reimburses the extra costs incurred by NAM as a result. These costs are high because the purchased gas has become a lot more expensive. In addition to the more expensive foreign gas, NAM also spends more money on, among other things, the transport of gas.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, a large part of the money flows back to the government “because the State gets back about seventy percent of the profits from NAM.”