Netherlands faces record low gas levels amid winter heating season

Gas reserves in the Netherlands have fallen to a critical low, with underground storage facilities now just 11 percent full, figures from Gasunie, the country’s gas transmission system operator, confirmed.

Gasunie’s latest report indicates that average storage levels across Europe stand at approximately 30 percent—substantially higher than those in the Netherlands, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The country sources its gas through multiple channels: domestic production, pipeline imports via Belgium and France, and regular deliveries of liquefied natural gas by sea. Despite the sharp decline in reserves, Gasunie has said it does not currently foresee any serious risks to the stability of supply.

However, the outlet notes that “geopolitical factors” could prompt the newly elected Dutch government to reassess its strategy for maintaining strategic gas reserves. Gasunie is expected to submit recommendations to the government in the near future outlining measures to build up such reserves in preparation for potential market disruptions or supply interruptions.

Earlier, on February 9, Dutch gas storage levels were reported at around 20 percent—the lowest figure in Northwestern Europe at the time. Since then, reserves have continued to decline.

The heating season in the Netherlands is set to continue until May 1, adding pressure to already strained inventories. The situation has fueled growing concerns in the Netherlands and several other Northern European countries over the potential for rising energy prices and the reliability of energy supplies in the months ahead.

By Vafa Guliyeva