The Netherlands is failing to pump enough gas into underground storage. Without government intervention, the country risks being unprepared for the heating season in the event of a severe winter, the country's gas infrastructure operator, Gasunie, said.
“Given recent events, the Netherlands will no longer be able to achieve its previously set target for winter storage capacity (115 TWh), a level that corresponds to approximately half of the Netherlands' consumption. However, this does not automatically mean that gas will be insufficient in the coming winter or that security of supply is at risk. From a practical point of view, this situation suggests that without further political decisions, the Netherlands will be insufficiently prepared for a severe winter scenario“, Gasunie explained.
The company noted that the target of 115 TWh (almost 11 billion cubic meters) reflects gas reserves sufficient to normally cover the heating season, even in the event of a severe winter. This indicator was set by Gasunie itself.
The operator added that it is constantly monitoring the market situation and is in contact with the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. The company stressed that it considers the actions of gas importers to be appropriate and that the challenging market situation is due to “geopolitical events of recent months“. “Ultimately, political decisions must be taken by the ministry, based on consultations with companies in the energy sector and taking into account recent events“, the company added.