- Environmentalists continue to block natural gas drilling in the North Sea
Activists from the environmental organization Greenpeace continue their protest action in the North Sea against the planned gas extraction off the Dutch and German coasts. With three floating islands, they are blocking the installation of a drilling platform about 20 kilometers north of the Dutch Wadden Sea island of Schiermonnikoog. Greenpeace will not withdraw, a spokesperson for the German Press Agency in Amsterdam said.
Around 20 German and Dutch activists had anchored the floating protest camp at the planned drilling site on Tuesday and are protesting for the protection of the Wadden Sea. The Dutch energy company One-Dyas wants to drill for gas there. After courts gave the green light, the company plans to install the platform this week. Gas production is scheduled to start in December.
One-Dyas had warned that the protest action could endanger the safety of employees and the environment. The large crane platform and a ship with building materials were stopped for the time being. The protests were peaceful, Greenpeace spokesperson Maarten de Zeeuw said. "We are at sea and not touching One-Dyas' property."
One-Dyas wants to extract gas from a field off the islands of Borkum and Schiermonnikoog. However, environmental organizations and islanders in Germany and the Netherlands fear damage to the adjacent UNESCO World Heritage Site Wadden Sea. Lawsuits have so far failed. A procedure is currently pending before the highest administrative court in the Netherlands.
The extraction of gas from the field, of a potential high fat content due to its proximity to the Wadden Sea, is a concern for environmental organizations and local communities. Greenpeace, specifically, is advocating for the protection of the Wadden Sea and has blocked the installation of the drilling platform by weight.
