JA21 Wants to Keep the Groningen Gas Field Open as a Strategic Reserve
Far-right opposition party JA21 submitted a legislative proposal in parliament today, arguing that permanently sealing the field would be a mistake at a time of rising gas prices and growing geopolitical uncertainty.
A Dutch political party has proposed keeping the Groningen gas field permanently accessible as a national emergency reserve, rather than sealing it with concrete as currently planned. JA21 party leader Joost Eerdmans submitted the legislative proposal during a parliamentary energy debate today, with the timing driven by the Iran war and rising gas and energy prices across Europe.
Rentals in the Netherlands
Signaal tracks the Dutch rental market and notifies you the moment something matches your search. Be first to apply.
What JA21 is actually proposing
The proposal is not a call to reopen the gas field for large-scale commercial production. Eerdmans says the goal is to keep part of the wells accessible for emergencies, not to restart mass extraction. "Which country in the world voluntarily closes off its own energy supply in geopolitically uncertain times? We have gone off track," he told De Telegraaf.
According to Eerdmans, about a quarter of the 337 gas wells have already been sealed. The rest have not yet been fully dismantled. His proposal would legally guarantee that some of those remaining wells stay accessible under strict conditions.
Eerdmans calls the 2024 decision to permanently close the field "the blunder of the century, made on the basis of emotions rather than facts."
Why the gas field was closed in the first place
The Groningen gas field was once the largest in Europe and generated enormous wealth for the Netherlands, but decades of gas extraction caused thousands of earthquakes that damaged homes and buildings across the province. A parliamentary inquiry concluded that the interests of Groningen residents had been structurally subordinated to economic and national interests for years.
In April 2024, the Senate voted to permanently end gas production. The closure was supported by BBB, GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD, CDA, D66, PVV, SP, ChristenUnie, PvdD, SGP, Volt and OPNL. Only JA21, FVD and 50PLUS voted against.
The expert case for keeping it open
JA21's proposal draws on arguments that have been building for weeks among energy researchers. TNO, the Netherlands' national research institute, told NOS last month that fully sealing the field would be a strategic mistake.
"That is a reserve you have available but do not use in principle," said René Peters, TNO's director of gas technology. "Groningen is a prime candidate because the field still has a large amount of gas and can supply it quickly."
Peters cited scenarios that could trigger an acute shortage: Russia sabotaging a pipeline from Norway, Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz cutting off LNG from Qatar, or the United States halting LNG tankers over political disputes with Europe. None of these are unthinkable, he said.
The Mijnraad and Gasunie had both previously called for a strategic gas reserve, with Gasunie working on a report outlining how such a reserve could work. According to TNO, the Netherlands now imports around 80 percent of its gas, making the country vulnerable to international disruptions.
The safety concern that has not gone away
The State Supervision of Mines (SodM) has consistently warned that restarting gas extraction in Groningen is unsafe. The earthquakes that led to the field's closure were caused by ground subsidence as gas was extracted, and that physical risk does not disappear regardless of how limited extraction might be. NAM, which operates the field, has said that keeping a few production locations open would be technically possible, but that it would again carry earthquake risks. "We advise against it," said dismantling director Emile Luchtmeijer.
Where the government and parliament stand
The new cabinet under Prime Minister Jetten has made clear it will not reopen the debate. During the debate on the government's policy statement last week, Jetten said reopening the Groningen field would break the promise made to Groningen residents, and that the cabinet is sticking to current agreements.
PVV leader Geert Wilders has said his party will support the JA21 plan, provided gas from the field is only extracted in emergencies and only for the Dutch population. That is a narrow coalition. Most parties that backed the 2024 closure are unlikely to change position, and there is no current majority in parliament for the proposal.
The field still holds an estimated 550 billion cubic metres of natural gas, enough for roughly eighteen years of Dutch consumption. Whether that figure will eventually override the political promises made to Groningen residents remains the central question.
