Dutch North Sea goes from gas to green

The Netherlands plans to repurpose its declining North Sea and onshore assets to serve the energy transition

With Dutch gas production crumbling to its lowest level in nearly 50 years, the Netherlands’ North Sea infrastructure is ripe for decommissioning. But what if instead of pulling it apart, some of the platforms, pipelines and empty reservoirs found a new life in the country’s quest to clean up its energy system? From storing carbon in depleted offshore fields to producing green hydrogen powered by offshore wind, the Netherlands wants to repurpose the North Sea to serve its energy transition. “The North Sea is going to be a pivotal area to reach the Paris climate goals,” says Ellen van der Veer, energy transition consultant at Dutch research organisation TNO. As a signatory of the 2015 Paris A