Residents of the huge quarrying site in the province of Groningen have complained of repeated earthquakes for more than two decades.
Article written by
Posted on 6/23/2023 5:58 PM Updated on 6/23/2023 6:16 PM
Reading time: 1 min
Pipes of a gas production plant near Garelsweerd, in the province of Groningen (Netherlands), on November 23, 2021. (JOHN THYS / AFP)
“We are really closing the floodgates,” said Hans Vijlbrief, Secretary of State for Mining. The Netherlands announced on Friday (June 23) that it would end gas production in Europe’s largest field on October 1, despite global energy supply concerns sparked by the war in Ukraine.
For more than two decades, the residents of the huge quarrying site in the province of Groningen have been complaining about the recurring earthquakes, the cause of which is attributed to the intensive exploitation of the soil. However, due to the “uncertain international situation” and in the event of an extremely cold winter, the last eleven gas production units from the Groningen field have to remain in operation for another year before they are finally closed in October 2024.
“The problems of the residents of Groningen are not yet solved and unfortunately the earthquakes are expected to continue for several more years, but the source of their misfortune will be closed from October,” added Hans Vijlbrief in a press release. Last February, a report by a commission of inquiry concluded that the government had failed and that it needed to remedy the situation in Groningen, where many houses had suffered significant damage.
view comments
Share the article on social networks: