The Netherlands’ gas consumption in 2022 fell by 22% compared to 2021, reaching a 50 year low, according to the country’s national statistical office Statistics Netherlands (CBS), which notably cited higher prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Gas consumption fell noticeably in large, gas-intensive industries (-25% compared to 2021), especially those active in the petroleum and chemical branches. The power sector also consumed 12% less gas in 2022. In the residential sector, gas consumption also declined by 25% in 2022. A significant part (10%) of this decline can be attributed to warmer weather in autumn: when corrected from high temperatures, gas consumption was 15% lower than in 2021, mostly due to higher gas prices. Greenhouse horticulture companies, which produce their own electricity with gas engines, reduced their gas consumption by more than 30% in 2022.
Due to the lower consumption, domestic gas production declined by 16%, along with gas imports: pipeline imports fell by 10%, especially from Norway (-40%) and Germany (-51%), while LNG imports doubled to account for a third of total gas imports in 2022. This surge in LNG imports was due to the commissioning of a new LNG terminal off the coast of Eemshaven.
At the end of 2022, the Netherlands’ gas reserves were more than twice larger than at the end of 2021 (+122%), with three quarters of the storage facilities filled.