Cabinet postpones decision on expansion nitrogen installation
The Minister of Economic Affairs needs more time to make a decision on the proposed expansion of the nitrogen installation near Zuidbroek. He informed the Dutch House of Representatives about this postponement today. Before the Dutch Cabinet can make a final decision on expansion, the Minister wants to look at whether, from a safety point of view, the additional commitment of quality conversion is required with the proposed production level of 24 billion m3 per year. A recent analysis by Gasunie Transport Services shows that maintaining the existing capacity resources ( gas storages and production Groningen field), the conversion of the foreign market and the planned production level, from a capacity point of view, the expansion is no longer required.
One reason is that the neighbouring countries can make an earlier start with the conversion of their gas systems from L-gas to H-gas. It is also shown that as a result of the reduced gas production from the Groningenveld, more technical capacity in the Groningenveld is available than was previously assumed. In addition, the current gas storage locations for storing Groningengas can be sufficiently deployed. There had been some uncertainty about this until recently. The Cabinet is expected to make a decision shortly after the Summer of 2017.
Click here to read the letter to the House of Representatives