After Poland and Bulgaria, another EU country, the Netherlands, will have to deal with a stop in the supply of natural gas from Russia from Tuesday. The Russian state-owned company Gazprom announced this move because the Dutch gas importer does not want to pay its bills in rubles. However, those involved are not concerned about supply bottlenecks.
Gazprom will not deliver the ordered two billion cubic meters of gas from May 31 to September 30, the Dutch gas company GasTerra announced on Monday in Groningen. However, major consequences for companies and households are not expected.
No rubles, no gas
In response to the sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow decided that European countries should pay for energy in Russian currency. Otherwise, the delivery was threatened. The Netherlands is not the first country to carry out this threat. Previously, the energy supply for Poland, Bulgaria and Finland had been stopped.
According to GasTerra, however, there will be no supply bottlenecks because gas has already been purchased elsewhere. The contract with Gazprom expires on October 1. Energy Minister Rob Jetten also does not expect major disadvantages for households and the economy. “The government will monitor the situation closely in the coming period,” he said in The Hague.
LPG to replace stocks
The Netherlands gets about 15 percent of its gas needs from Russia, about 6 billion cubic meters per year. However, the government had already taken steps to stop being dependent on Russian energy by the end of the year. By winter, the gas storage tanks should be full. In addition, more liquid gas is being imported.
No financing planned
Until now, the cabinet has ruled out that production from its own gas fields in Groningen in the northeast will be restarted. But it is unclear whether this is sustainable now that Gazprom’s deliveries have ended prematurely.
Due to major damage caused by a large number of smaller earthquakes, production in Groningen was greatly reduced. Production was to end this year. At the end of 2024, the Groningen GasTerra will therefore also stop.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
