{"id":583,"date":"2022-07-07T19:24:49","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T19:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/roydadnaft.ir\/English\/?p=583"},"modified":"2022-07-07T19:24:52","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T19:24:52","slug":"energy-minister-says-dutch-braced-for-russian-gas-cutoff-groningen-is-last-resort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roydadnaft.ir\/English\/583\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy minister says Dutch braced for Russian gas cutoff, Groningen is last resort"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Netherlands has met a goal of ending its dependence on Russian gas, its energy minister told Reuters in an interview, but as a major storage and transport hub, it is exposed to any wider European gas crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’ve seen huge energy savings in the first six months of this year, cutting gas usage by almost 33%,” Energy Minister Rob Jetten said in an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reduction is enough to replace the Dutch share of Russian gas, 15%-20% of imports in recent years as the Netherlands’ domestic production has wound down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The size of the Netherlands’ Groningen field meant the country was for years a major supplier of natural gas to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jetten said the field could still be called upon the help neighbouring countries in the event of a complete cut off in Russian supplies that could endanger life by for instance denying hospitals in Germany power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It contains roughly 450 billion cubic metres (bcm) of recoverable gas, nearly three years’ worth of European imports from Russia, but ramping up production would risk causing earthquakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groningen is expected to produce just 4.5 bcm this year and 2.8 bcm next year. Smaller fields in the Netherlands and Dutch North Sea will produce around 10 bcm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SCALING UP LNG<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Dutch government is rapidly scaling up its capacity to import LNG (liquefied natural gas), with plans to double capacity to 24 bcm this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some imported LNG will go to help other European countries replace Russian gas, even as far as the Czech Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dutch annual domestic consumption was 35-40 bcm before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and led to a spike in European energy prices and disrupted gas flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jetten estimated that the Netherlands’ gas storages, which hold 14 bcm, are around 56% filled, helped by a government subsidy to help companies fill them more quickly since the end of May – when Gazprom stopped sending gas to Dutch government gas trader GasTerra.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A public campaign asking people and companies to consume less has succeeded, Jetten said, though high prices and temperate weather also played a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re doing a lot of extra work to make sure that our gas storages are filled,” Jetten said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But if Russia cuts its supplies in the short term, it would affect other countries such as Germany, it would also affect the Netherlands. So we will face a European issue, a European crisis, if the Russian gas supply drops on very short term.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Netherlands declared the first phase of an energy crisis on June 20, lifting production caps on coal-fired plants, which Jetten expects will save the country about 2-3 bcm of gas on an annual basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, strong production from wind and solar energy cut about 1 bcm of use in the first half of 2022, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re working hard to make sure it gets filled up to at least 80% before the start of next winter,” Jetten said – in line with European targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked whether the 80% filling goal could still be achieved if Russia cuts all gas deliveries to Europe tomorrow, he said only: “We will do whatever we can to be prepared for that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Barbara Lewis<\/p>\n

Updated on