On behalf of its members, NOGEPA welcomes the publication of the North Sea Energy Outlook by DNV GL on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy. The report sets out a scientifically substantiated overview of the technical and economic possibilities that the North Sea has to offer the Netherlands in relation to the energy transition and the immense task faced by the Netherlands.
Gas production in the North Sea has played an important role in the Dutch energy supply for many decades, and although this will continue to decline as we approach 2050 due to the depletion of reserves, natural gas from the North Sea will, without doubt, continue to be important in the decades ahead if we are to contribute to meeting the primary demand for gas in the country.
“What's more, our sector is already implementing solutions to ensure we achieve a CO2-neutral energy supply by 2050. For example, some of our members are actively involved in the development of carbon capture and storage projects (also known as CCS), such as Porthos, Athos and H2Gateway Den Helder,” says Arendo Schreurs, Director of NOGEPA. While some projects are combined with hydrogen production and others are not, hydrogen is certainly one energy source that is expected to play an important role in transport and as a storage medium in our future energy mix. Other notable hydrogen projects are PosHYdon, the first pilot project for offshore hydrogen production, and the CETO project for the connection of offshore wind to offshore oil and gas infrastructures.
By using some of the existing oil & gas infrastructure for sustainable applications, we can interconnect the various energy systems and, by doing so, save on costs and space. This form of system integration in the North Sea will also benefit the reliability of our energy system, as it can help prevent congestion in the electricity grid as it is transported onshore.
Arendo Schreurs: “We see an important role in developing a shared vision of the future role of the North Sea as an energy source for today, tomorrow and beyond. In our opinion, the North Sea Agreement, which we have cast and agreed upon with many other parties in the past year (including NWEA, Greenpeace, WWF, TenneT), constitutes a key pillar in the governance structure that will enable us to further shape this shared vision. As such, the North Sea could act as a shining example of system integration for many other regions around the world.”