The European Commission has approved a Dutch scheme to support the filling of the Bergermeer gas storage facility, which has a seasonal storage capacity of 4.3 bcm, in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine and strained relations with Russia.
The up to €406m scheme will enable the Netherlands to give companies incentives to store natural gas in the facility, by protecting them from unexpected price developments over the storage period this summer. This measure will enable the Netherlands to ensure that existing gas storage facilities on its territory are filled up to at least 80% of their capacity by 1 November 2022, in preparation for the upcoming winter.
In March 2022, EU leaders agreed to phase out the EU dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible and invited the Commission to put forward a plan to ensure security of supply and affordable energy prices during the next winter season. In June 2022, the European Parliament and the Council adopted the proposal by the Commission for a regulation on gas storage to ensure an adequate level of gas storage before the start of the heating season in October 2022. The regulation requires that Member States ensure that existing gas storage facilities on their respective territory are filled up to at least 80% of their capacity by 1 November 2022.
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