Netherlands won't meet gas reserves target for winter

The Netherlands is heading into winter with a smaller gas reserve than hoped. The filling target for gas storage facilities is no longer achievable, Gasunie told NU.nl. That should not be a problem during a normal winter, but it does make the Netherlands vulnerable if the winter is colder than typical or there are unexpected disruptions.

On August 24, the Dutch gas storage facilities were filled to approximately 44 percent of their capacity. In the same period in 2023, that was 94 percent, 88 percent in 2024, and 63 percent last year.

The European target is 74 percent, equivalent to approximately 107 terawatt-hours of gas for the coming winter. Gasunie advised storing 115 TWh. Both targets are out of reach. “Based on the latest developments, the Netherlands will not meet the previously set filling target for this winter,” a Gasunie spokesperson told the newspaper.

Gasunie stressed that this does not mean that there will be insufficient gas available this winter or that security of supply is at risk. Only that, without additional measures, the Netherlands is insufficiently prepared for an exceptionally cold winter. Gasunie also said that it previously warned the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth about the slow filling of the gas storage facilities.

The main reason that the gas reserves are lower than hoped is that commercial companies are storing hardly any gas, largely due to the high gas prices. The current summer gas price is higher than the expected winter price, making gas storage commercially unprofitable. The state-owned company Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) is therefore storing gas in Norg, Grijpskerk, and Bergermeer on behalf of the government.