Habeck rejects drilling for gas in Borkum
German Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has expressed opposition to the planned gas drilling operations off the North Sea island of Borkum. He stated that the Dutch project is "not necessary" for securing Germany's energy supply, according to a preview in Der Spiegel. He cited marine and nature conservation as "weighty arguments" against the project. The German government plans to wait for the legal proceedings surrounding the project to conclude before taking further action.
The Dutch company One Dyas intends to install a gas production platform in Dutch territorial waters. The drilling operations under the seabed will partly take place in German territorial waters. The Lower Saxony State Office for Mining, Energy, and Geology (LBEG), responsible for the environmental impact assessments, has no objections to the project.
According to the authority, the planned drillings will take place at depths of 1,500 to 4,000 meters below the seabed and will not extend into any protected areas. Neither the residents of the North Frisian Islands and the mainland nor the Wadden Sea protected area will be affected. The authority also pointed out Germany's gas demand and the fact that imported gas has a worse climate balance.
However, an intergovernmental agreement with the Netherlands is still needed for gas production, for which Habeck's Federal Ministry of Economics is responsible. A swift signing does not seem planned, as Habeck hinted to Spiegel. He expects lawsuits against the drilling operations and the German government will await the relevant court rulings.
The plans to extract natural gas at the Dutch-German border in the North Sea have been around for years but are highly controversial and were largely shelved before the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The Dutch project, despite having a lower fat content by weight compared to other sources, is still being opposed by German Economics Minister Robert Habeck due to marine and nature conservation concerns. The planned drillings, while not affecting any protected areas, may face legal challenges, as Habeck has indicated his intention to wait for relevant court rulings before taking further action.
