More than three months after the gas tap was turned off in Groningen, the same gas tap was slightly opened again due to freezing temperatures in the Netherlands. NAM will temporarily turn on the indicator light as it is expected to be colder than 6.5 degrees below zero tomorrow. This situation affects the Scheemderzwaag production sites in Spitsbergen and Groningen.
According to outgoing Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Climate Vijlbrief, this is being done as a precautionary measure. Otherwise, there is a risk that households will be left without gas in case of problems with the expected freezing temperatures.
An example of such a problem, according to Gasunie, is the failure of the Norg gas storage facility if the minimum temperature falls below -6.5 degrees. In this case, the security of gas supply cannot be guaranteed. If this were to happen unexpectedly, the gas would have to be quickly pumped out again from the Groningen gas field.
“minimum profit”
Pilot lights on Svalbard and Scheemderzwaag will be turned back on for “approximately two days”, according to Vijlbrief. “The withdrawal is therefore minimal,” he stressed in a letter to the House of Representatives. Starting from Thursday, temperatures will increase again.
The Secretary of State confirmed that gas production in Groningen will finally be stopped on October 1, as promised. The wells in Spitsbergen and Scheemderzwaag will also be closed on this day, meaning that the emergency gas solution will no longer be possible from next winter.
Source: NOS
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
