Netherlands raises its coal-burning quota to prevent electricity shortages

• The Netherlands raises its coal-burning quota to prevent electricity shortages.
• The Groningen gasfield produced 54 billion cubic meters of gas in 2013 but just 4.5 bcms in 2021.
• The Dutch government has stated that it will only open the tap at Groningen as a “last resort”.

Netherlands: In order to reduce carbon emissions, Dutch energy minister Rob Jetten announced during a press conference on Monday that the government would repeal legislation stating that coal-fired power plants may only operate at 35% of their full capacity.

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To prevent winter shortages, according to Jetten, gas storage tanks must be refilled above the amount established by the EU in its new energy legislation issued in May.

Concerns about earthquakes in the area prevent the Dutch from increasing output at the Groningen gasfield, which produced 54 billion cubic meters of gas in 2013 but just 4.5 bcms in the year to October 2021.

The Dutch government has stated that it will only open the tap at Groningen as a “last resort” and will only allow 2.8 bcm of production in the year ending in October 2023. It had earlier stated that it intended to limit production to 1.5 bcm in 2020.

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Jetten stated that there was not yet a gas crisis, but with Russian energy major Gazprom reducing supply to nations like Germany and Italy, “the risk of doing nothing is too great.”