News item | 01-06-2022 | 18:00
The Netherlands and Germany will jointly drill for a new gas field in the North Sea. State Secretary Vijlbrief has issued permits for the Dutch part today. They will be available for inspection online from Friday 3 June 2022, and at Schiermonnikoog and Borkum.
In Germany, an accelerated procedure for the required permits is underway. A year ago, the German state of Lower Saxony decided not to issue permits. They are now making a different decision because of the war in Ukraine.
2024 first production
The production platform will be located in the North Sea, more than 19 kilometers north of Schiermonnikoog and Borkum. A pipeline is being built to get the gas on land. There will also be a cable to a nearby German wind farm for the electricity supply on the platform. The first gas is expected to be produced by the end of 2024.
Lower platform
An extensive report has been made on, among other things, the environmental effects. This shows that all the required conditions are met. Nevertheless, Schiermonnikogers and nature organizations continue to have various concerns about this gas extraction. Therefore, several adjustments have been made. For example, the production platform is a lot lower, making it less noticeable from the island. The platform is also placed further away from an oyster project, the drilling fluid is not discharged and water released during gas production is cleaned with an extra filter.
Gas extraction in the North Sea
In order to have sufficient gas to heat our houses, for example, the cabinet supports gas extraction in the North Sea. This has been agreed in the Coalition Agreement. Before the summer, State Secretary Vijlbrief will send a letter to the House with proposals to accelerate gas extraction from small fields in the North Sea.