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The Dutch want to get rid of fossil fuels from Russia by the end of the year

The Netherlands intends to stop using fossil fuels from Russia by the end of the year, the government announced Friday, pledging to spend nearly 623 million euros on incentives for companies to fill a large gas storage tank.

To bring this task to a successful conclusion, i.e. leaving fossil fuels from Russia, the Dutch government said it is focusing on investing in energy savings, “green” policies and importing more energy from other countries.

“In this way, the Netherlands can maintain Russia’s share of gas or replace it completely by the end of the year,” the Dutch executive said in a statement, thus joining other countries in cutting off Russian supplies in protest of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. .

It is estimated that 44% of energy consumed in the Netherlands is based on gas – one of the highest in Europe – but only 15% of the gas comes from Russia, according to official Dutch data reproduced by Reuters.

As part of its efforts to reduce dependence on Russia, the Dutch government has announced that it will compensate companies for filling the Bergermeer gas reservoir, one of Europe’s largest, before winter. He expects to encourage companies to do so – the deposit has a capacity of 4.1 billion cubic meters – should cost about 623 million euros.

In parallel, the Dutch government has instructed the state-owned EBN to take steps to ensure that the warehouse is filled by at least 70% if companies are not attracted by the financial incentives.

The Bergermeer facility, which accounts for a third of gas storage capacity in the Netherlands, is owned 60% by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company TAQA, which also operates it, and 40% by EBN.

In fact, Gazprom is entitled to 40% of the storage space under an agreement valid until 2045, Reuters explains, noting that the Russian company did not use its stake last year. A spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs indicated that the reserved area for Gazprom could be used by others this year if it did not do so under a clause stipulating “either use it or lose the right to use it.”