- Permission granted for natural gas production in Borkum
Controversial offshore gas drilling in the North Sea near the island of Borkum is moving closer. The Lower Saxony State Agency for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG) in Hannover has granted the Dutch energy company One-Dyas a permit valid for 18 years for drilling that extends into German territory beneath the seabed.
The permit was issued after review and approval by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, the agency announced. It was agreed that the extraction would end prematurely as soon as Germany no longer needs natural gas as an energy source due to the planned energy transition. "However, as long as natural gas is still consumed in Germany, it is significantly less harmful to the climate than imported gas," said LBEG President Carsten Mühlenmeier.
Germany and the Netherlands are negotiating agreements
However, it is not yet finally clear whether gas will actually be drilled near the Lower Saxony National Park Wattenmeer in the future. On the one hand, a treaty under international law with the Netherlands is still needed, as the gas is to be extracted from both Dutch and German territorial waters. The talks on this, which began in 2022, are still ongoing, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics. No target date was given by a spokesperson.
On the other hand, it is to be expected that legal action will be taken against the plan approval in Germany. The German Environmental Aid (DUH) had already announced last year that it would go to court if the project was approved by the Lower Saxony authorities.
Up to 13 billion cubic meters of gas
The company One-Dyas plans to start extracting gas from a field near the islands of Borkum and Schiermonnikoog this year. Drilling is planned at depths of 1.5 to 3.5 kilometers. The expected recoverable amount of natural gas for the entire project is 4.5 to 13 billion cubic meters. For comparison: According to the Federal Network Agency, around 81 billion cubic meters of gas were consumed in Germany alone last year.
Protests from Fridays for Future and islanders
Environmental organizations and islanders in Germany and the Netherlands reject the project. They fear environmental damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Wattenmeer and the islands. They also consider the natural gas extraction incompatible with climate goals. The climate protection movement Fridays for Future recently protested on Borkum and in front of the Lower Saxony State Parliament in Hannover against the planned gas extraction.
Before the decision of the state agency, the Federal Ministry of the Environment had expressed its criticism of a possible permit, stating that it sees the "cementing of fossil infrastructures" critically and a possible permit "with a view to marine protection with concern".
The negotiations for an agreement between Germany and the Netherlands regarding the controversial offshore gas drilling are ongoing, as per the Federal Ministry of Economics. However, legal action against the project approval in Germany is anticipated, as announced by German Environmental Aid (DUH).
