The Netherlands is considering establishing an emergency natural gas supply system. | from 9028-72-2 Price Impact

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The Netherlands is considering establishing an emergency natural gas supply system.

Published on 2026-03-14

Affected by the military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, international natural gas prices have experienced significant fluctuations recently, with the Netherlands, as a major natural gas importer, being notably impacted. Dutch Minister for Climate and Green Growth, Stientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer, recently stated that the Dutch government is considering the establishment of an emergency natural gas supply system to address the risk of supply disruptions.

Currently, over 60% of the Netherlands' natural gas supply relies on imports, primarily from pipeline gas from Norway and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States. In recent years, changes in the Netherlands' natural gas supply structure, combined with pressures from the energy transition and recent geopolitical conflicts, have increasingly exposed the vulnerability of the country's natural gas supply system. There is a broad consensus across Dutch society that strategic reserves should be strengthened to ensure natural gas supply and energy security.

René Peters, head of gas technology at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), pointed out that since the oil crisis in the 1970s, the Netherlands has maintained strategic oil reserves equivalent to about three months' supply, but a similar strategic reserve system for natural gas has yet to be established.

The latest analysis report released by the Dutch Gas Union on the 11th suggests that the Dutch natural gas system is capable of handling common risks such as cold winter weather and short-term infrastructure failures, but it is insufficiently prepared for large-scale supply disruptions lasting several months. The report recommends that the Dutch government utilize existing natural gas storage facilities to establish strategic reserves.

The Netherlands currently has four major underground natural gas storage facilities. Beyond meeting winter demand, the remaining capacity could theoretically serve as strategic reserves to stabilize the market and prices during prolonged supply disruptions. Hans Knen, a board member of the Dutch Gas Union, believes that measures such as increasing the gas storage capacity of underground facilities could enhance the resilience of the natural gas supply system. (Shao Haijun)

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