The Netherlands and Germany will jointly drill for a new gas field in the North Sea, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate announced on Wednesday.
State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief has "issued permits for the Dutch part today," said the ministry in a statement. The permits will be "available for inspection online" from Friday, and an "accelerated procedure" for the required permits is underway in Germany.
The announcement came one day after Russia's energy company Gazprom stopped its gas supply to the Netherlands, as a reaction to Dutch gas company GasTerra's refusal to pay in roubles.
The new drilling field will be located in the North Sea, more than 19 kilometers offshore on the Dutch-German border.
A pipeline is being built to transport the gas on land, and there will also be a cable to a nearby German wind farm for the electricity supply on the gas field. The first gas is expected to be produced by the end of 2024, it added.
Editor: Galia
