ANP Productions | Source: ANP
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Groningen
State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief of Mining has not sufficiently substantiated the gas extraction decision for the Groningen field for 2023-2024, the Council of State (CoS) said in a statement on Wednesday. Vijlbrief had previously decided that the Groningen field would be needed as a reserve from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 for very cold periods. The Council of State says in its ruling that from May 1 it will no longer be so cold that this is necessary.
The council notes that nothing has changed, because gas extraction from the Groningen field has been prohibited since last month by the new Mining Act.
Several parties had objected to Vijlbrief’s gas extraction decision, but only NAM was partly right. The province of Groningen, a number of municipalities and water boards and the Groningen Safety Region found the State Secretary’s scenario unclear and contradictory. However, according to the Council of State, this is not the case. The Groninger Soil Movement wanted no more gas to be extracted at all. The decision was well substantiated on that point, says the Council of State. “In the opinion of the Administrative Jurisdiction Department, the State Secretary has taken sufficient account of the interests of the residents of the earthquake area in terminating gas extraction as quickly as possible.”
Cold period scenario
The NAM found it unreasonable that the so-called cold period scenario should also apply from April 1, because it will no longer be so cold that extra gas is needed. The Council of State agrees with this, but according to the council it may still be necessary from May 1, in April.
The Council of State writes that this ruling has put an end to a series of cases regarding gas extraction from the Groningen field. From April 19, gas may no longer be extracted from this field.
