ONE-Dyas invests $500 million in gas extraction north of Schiermonnikoog

On September 27th, Exploration and gas production company ONE-Dyas announced A €500 million investment in natural gas extraction from the N05-A offshore field in the North Sea, 20 kilometers north of the islands of Borkum, Rottumerplaat and Schiermonnikoog.

The decision came after the Ministry of Economy and Climate (EZK) granted ONE-Dyas permission to develop the N05-A gas field in June. Green Light has undergone an extensive evaluation process by the Dutch Environmental Assessment Board (NCEA). In 2018, ONE-Dyas began talking to stakeholders about the environmental impact of the project. A year later, after collecting feedback and incorporating the results of these discussions into its report, the company formally asked the Dutch authorities for permission.

The Dutch government has expressed confidence in the “need and need” of North Sea natural gas, according to the company. However, the decision to extract gas from the area has sparked concern and protests from residents, worried about the environmental impact of the operation.

“We are not the ones who decide where to extract the gas,” said Corine Toussaint, External Relations and Communications Manager at ONE-Dyas. “During consultations with the agency, it became clear that the environmental impact was negligible or acceptable.” In Toussaint’s view, such strict and regulated procedures are a good thing. “Because if permission is granted for a particular operation, it means that the operation has a sustainable impact on the environment.”

Toussaint added that the company maintains open discussions with all parties involved. “We don’t want to convince people. We want to provide fact-based information like what the NCEA reports,” she said. “I understand that residents may be afraid,” Toussaint continued. Our situation is different. N05-A is a small offshore field and poses no seismic risk. “

Another criticism of the project comes from the potential risks to the Wadden Sea and its flora and fauna. Toussaint specified that N05-A did not touch the area “at all,” and noted that the offshore field was 20 kilometers from the coast. “Given the size of the Netherlands, this distance is appropriate. If we call 20 kilometers ‘near’, how do we define shorter distances?” she said.

Frank Petersen, a public relations specialist at Waddenvereniging, an organization that advocates for the interests of the Wadden Sea, disagrees. “The North Sea and the Wadden Sea are two interconnected he he are two ecosystems. There is no artificial boundary between the two seas,” he commented. Petersen explained that while the subsidence would be the same and the gas extraction operation would seriously damage the Wadden Sea, the climate impact would be significant for both seas.

“Climate change is the biggest threat to the Wadden and North Seas. Companies still have projects to extract gas from the region. We see a combination of energy reduction practices and renewable energy sources as a way to do this.Let’s start by reducing our consumption.”

Peterson did not comment on the content of the NCEA report. He appreciated the strict boundaries set by the government. This forced the company to abandon inappropriate ideas. “I remember from the draft that ONE-Dyas was planning to dump the liquid into the ocean. We need confidence that there is,” Peterson added.

T.The project entered a concrete preparatory stage, Gas available to the DutchNumber of households by winter 2024. ONE-Dyas expects extraction 4.5 billion to 13 billion cubic meters of gas From the N05-A field. Toussaint He emphasized that there is no alternative to making this investment “a better solution for the time being.” “The alternative is to import liquid natural gas (LNG) by ship from the US, which has a 30% higher carbon footprint,” Toussaint said.

When asked to respond, Peterson said the remarks were “not serious.” “He is one of ONE-Dyas’ most important shareholders, Marcel Van Poecke. Invest Describing an LNG import with another company, Tree Energy Solutions, Peterson added that ONE-Dyas should clearly disclose this detail when discussing alternative solutions.