1

Wells, pipelines and poldering

Implementing Gas Storage Bergermeer into society

NOTEBOOK

2

First, something about the importance of Bergermeer to

society. Gas storage facilities are becoming increasingly more

relevant in terms of securing the supply of energy. This is not

only the case for the Netherlands, where the extraction of gas

in Groningen has come under pressure. In its capacity as one

of the largest gas storage facilities in Europe’s open market,

Bergermeer can also offer a meaningful contribution to the

common good of secured energy supply in the European Union.

Gas storage also supports the large-‐scale implementation

of sustainable energy. For example, the use of natural gas -‐ the

cleanest fossil energy source -‐ is an obvious choice when the

sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing; gas which once

stored is immediately available. Gas storage is also financially

In addition, Bergermeer contributes to the international

competitive position of the Netherlands in the energy market and

helps achieve competitive energy prices for Dutch households.

But how can you next also integrate a major project of pub-‐

lic interest in a responsible manner? Gas Storage Bergermeer is

now a fact. Its construction was achieved within the specified

contributed to its realisation. Gas Storage Bergermeer, which

will involve a total investment of three billion euros, is one of

the largest infrastructural investments in the Dutch economy in

general and in the energy region of Alkmaar in particular.

Between concept and completion of Gas Storage Berger-‐

meer lie eight years of planning, consultation, permit applica-‐

tions, testing and construction. In order to re-‐use the Berger-‐

had to be incorporated in natural surroundings and right next to

residential areas. All the more reason to implement Bergermeer

with full respect for people, the environment and society.

Both the design and the construction and supervision of

Gas Storage Bergermeer were carried out in close consultation

with many experts and stakeholders, and not without initial

resistance to the project. To be honest, the latter did at times

prove to be something of a challenge for all parties involved. But

ultimately, this all benefited the well-‐devised implementation of

Gas Storage Bergermeer. And we are very grateful to all parties

involved for that.

In this special publication to mark the official inauguration

of Bergermeer, we gladly focus on various people who can talk

about the realisation from different angles and with authority.

We do so in the conviction that this holds some lessons for the

future for all parties involved.

Jan Willem van Hoogstraten

Lessons from Bergermeer’

How can you integrate a facility of national importance that is as large as it is far-­reaching in

such a manner that this general interest can also be served during its construction? Until recent-­

ly, this was basically the question that TAQA and EBN were facing with Gas Storage Bergermeer.

3

Jan Willem van Hoogstraten,Managing Director TAQA Energy BV

One of the largest infrastructural investments in the Dutch economy

INTRODUCTION

4

This booklet is a one-‐off publication by TAQA Energy BV on the occasion

INTERVIEWS:Saskia Legein

PHOTOGRAPHY:Eric de Vries

LAYOUT:X11 Creatie, Danny de Neef

COLOPHON

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10

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‘In the past, people often felt tricked by salami tactics’ Godert van der Feltz, Lawyer and co-­owner of Van der Feltz Advocaten

‘ There is substantial international interest for Bergermeer and the number of customers is growing’ Jan Dirk Bokhoven, CEO EBN

‘Everyone in the Netherlands wants the heater to stay on’ Deputy Secretary of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs

Gas Storage Bergermeer at a glance

‘ The government should learn to be unanimous in its statements’Piet Bruinooge, Mayor of the city of Alkmaar

‘ The court case was expensive, but it did enable us to give Bergenaren a voice’Alwin Hietbrink, former GroenLinks Alderman of the municipality of Bergen

Executive Director International Energy Agency

‘We must make societal risks manageable’ Inspector General SodM

Jo Laan, former Dike Warden living in the close vicinity of the gas storage

‘ How could our polder board have imagined in 1971 that, forty years later, there would have been a gas storage on this site?’

CONTENTS

‘Discussing nature setoff claims is often far more effective if you do it in advance’Krijn Jan Provoost, District Manager of Natuurmonumenten (Dutch National Trust)

6

Gas Storage Bergermeer at a glance

the Arabic word for energy.

-‐

duction of oil and natural gas, but the company

in fact focuses even more on the generation of

electricity and the desalination of water.

of Abu Dhabi.

the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom,

already been active in the Alkmaar region for

About TAQA

insufficiently available, gas is needed to meet the

demand.

-‐

proven to be technically sound. Throughout the

world, hundreds of gas storage facilities have

already been in operation for decades. The oldest

gas storage facility, in the United States, dates

has gas storage facilities in Grijpskerk, Norg and

Zuidwending.

operates the peak gas installation in Alkmaar. This

too is an underground gas storage facility. The

facility has already been feeding additional gas to

the gas network in the Randstad urban conglo-‐

merate during daily and seasonal peak moments

About gas

transition to sustainable energy, the position of

the Netherlands in the energy market and good

energy prices for consumers.

access gas storage facility, with a working volume

of 4.1 billion cubic metres of natural gas. That is

-‐

sumption of the Netherlands and enough to meet

a project of national importance by the govern-‐

ment.

percent of our energy needs, twice as much as in

the rest of Europe.

emissions of gas are less than half of

those of coal or oil.

percent higher efficiency than coal.

natural gas as the cleanest fossil fuel to make

the transition to sustainable energy manage-‐

ment. The supply of solar and wind energy is not

of the Netherlands. Furthermore, solar and wind

energy cannot be stored. At times when these are

The oldest gas storage facility

dates from 1917, (US)

6

7

-‐

therlands.

-‐

ferent nationalities have worked on the construc-‐

tion of Gas Storage Bergermeer.

of Gas Storage Bergermeer, more than seventy

percent were from the Netherlands, mainly from

the province of North Holland.

new jobs in total. On top of that, approximately

one hundred new permanent jobs will be created

with suppliers.

About the People

environment during the drilling operations, a ten-‐

metre-‐high noise barrier was erected around the

Bergermeer construction site. In addition, low-‐

noise generators and a low-‐noise derrick which

runs on electricity were used.

-‐

nuously recorded the noise levels. If the agreed-‐

upon standard was exceeded, work was halted

until the cause of this noise was eliminated.

due to the use of the best available technology

number of breeding birds in the vicinity of Gas

Storage Bergermeer has remained unchanged.

This has become apparent from counts commis-‐

sioned by TAQA and carried out by independent

-‐

-‐

native for meadow birds reluctant to nest in the

vicinity of the derrick.

godwits use the wetland parcel that has been

realised at Bergermeer by TAQA in recent years.

construction site was illuminated with green light

instead of white light at night. The green light is

less disruptive to humans and animals.

pipelines which connect the storage site below

Bergermeer and the gas treatment facility at

the Boekelermeer industrial estate were drilled

beneath the forest up to thirty metres deep.

TAQA retained all the marsh-‐marigold and later

replanted them.

TAQA inadvertently created an extra bird nursery.

Several couples of martins built their nests in a

raised mound of soil that was created when bury-‐

ing the pipes.

nothing protrudes above ground level, preserving

the wide views across the Loterijlanden.

yield additional nature: TAQA wants to perma-‐

nature area.

About the direct environment

T AQA is the Arabic word for energy

7

8

plan with fixed routes and times for its own staff

and construction traffic.

traffic turning left to the well location to prevent

possible road congestion.

supervisors oversaw the daily traffic to and from

the construction site at Bergermeer.

for road safety campaigns at all secondary schools

and a large number of primary schools and sports

clubs in Alkmaar and Bergen to raise awareness of

the construction traffic on local roads.

which are along or near the routes of TAQA’s

construction traffic have received lessons through

spots in traffic.

any accidents that have resulted in absenteeism.

the construction and operation of Gas Storage

Bergermeer, TAQA opened an information centre

at the Boekelermeer in Alkmaar during the con-‐

struction period.

construction sites at the Boekelermeer and Ber-‐

germeer.

-‐

struction of the gas storage facility, TAQA con-‐

stantly kept local residents up-‐to-‐date on all the

developments. TAQA launched a separate website

for the storage facility and published information

each week in the regional daily newspaper and

regional house-‐to-‐house publications.

About the communication

About safety

-‐

-‐

-‐

therlands for which a full three-‐dimensional geo-‐

mechanical model has been made. Only statistical

analyses were made for all the other gas fields in

the Netherlands.

even the slightest vibrations at Bergermeerveld

registrations.

the municipalities of Alkmaar, Schermer, Heiloo

and Bergen. In addition to the legal liability TAQA

has, these covenants specify how stakeholders

are helped in a fast and service-‐oriented manner

in the case of damage due to gas storage or gas

extraction.

-‐

meer, TAQA had baseline measurements car-‐

region in order to be able to trace back any later

cross section comprised pre-‐war and post-‐war

buildings, high-‐rise buildings, farm houses and

monuments. The base line measurement was

devised in such a way that for each structure in

Alkmaar, Bergen, Heiloo and Schermer there are

always three properties for comparison.

for the direct environment, TAQA in consultation

with the contractors, the neighbouring munici-‐

palities and the province of North Holland has

established a comprehensive traffic management

8

9

through a specially designated information num-‐

ber.

about both current and future building activities,

hours and meetings for residents.

TAQA offered solar panels to residents living in the

immediate vicinity of the drilling site of the wells

when the construction period commenced.

including their annexes cover seven metres of file

flesh out the permit applications.

-‐

ment agencies.

debate in Dutch parliament twice.

State Council approved all permits for the con-‐

Storage Bergermeer, as well as two hundred mil-‐

lion kilos of steel, nearly twenty thousand cubic

metres of concrete and more than six hundred

kilometres of cable.

pipeline was constructed and installed under-‐

ground.

at Gas Storage Bergermeer. It is a huge settling

basin and the first major station in the process of

making the natural gas which comes up from the

underground storage suitable for consumers. The

Antwerp over the Scheldt in the direction of

Zeeland, via Dordrecht right through Holland to

Amsterdam and then across the IJsselmeer to the

north of North Holland. Just before the Afsluitdijk,

the slugcatcher had to be tilted at an angle of

pass through the Stevinsluizen lock complex at

Den Oever. The transport then proceeded to Den

Helder and from there to Alkmaar via the North

Holland Canal.

About the permit application process and the construction

cultural institutions for amateurs and professio-‐

nals in Bergen, Schermer, Heiloo and Alkmaar.

Culture Fund has more than doubled in the past

the municipalities of Alkmaar, Bergen, Heiloo and

Schermer. Through the covenant, TAQA will invest

these municipalities.

-‐

tenplaats Kranenburgh’ in Bergen for seven years.

Holland North in various fields, TAQA together

with the Chamber of Commerce Northwest Hol-‐

land has organised expert meetings for regional

companies.

About the business climate in the energy region of Alkmaar

‘ Sand martins built nests in soil that was thrown up during excavation work’

9

10

There is substantial international interest for Bergermeer and the number of customers is growing’

What position does Gas Storage Bergermeer hold in the gas market?

-‐

lands. Furthermore, it is the largest open-‐access gas storage

facility of Northwest Europe. Its flexible and comprehensive

range of services for international market parties constitutes a

welcome addition to the Dutch wholesale market for gas, which

is currently already the most fluid gas trading hub in Europe. The

demand for storage capacity during the last auction in Septem-‐

been leased out so far. The number of customers is still growing

and there is also increasing interest in the supplementary ser-‐

vices available at Bergermeer, such as providing storage space

to keep gas as collateral. Bergermeer is also performing well in

the secondary trade of gas storage positions. We are therefore

How does EBN looks back on the realisation of Gas Storage Bergermeer?

that energy projects are implemented within the agreed-‐upon

term and budget and with optimum attention to the safety and

wellbeing of people and the direct environment. Within these

pre-‐conditions, TAQA has successfully managed to realise a

sizable project. It was completed on schedule and within the

budget of almost nine hundred million euros, which is already

in winning the trust of local stakeholders through its responsible

integration of the gas storage facility in the area. We feel that

the manner in which it has achieved this, in a relatively densely

populated part of the country, can also serve as a model for the

implementation of gas projects on the Dutch mainland.’

When the Netherlands is able to produce less gas in the future, should it more actively start to market its know-­how about gas and gas storage?

we are indeed keen to maintain our position as a gas knowledge

hub. New developments such as Gas Storage Bergermeer help

make that possible. In this way, we can further solidify our

international position.’

Is EBN facing a dilemma between selling Dutch gas, marketing the national gas know-­ledge, offering gas storage and the growing public opposition to natural gas?

invokes negative associations among a lot of people. In the past,

the comfort and convenience of gas gave the commodity an

impeccable image, but this is continuously eroding due to all the

negative developments that have transpired. If we want gas to

become socially acceptable again, then we will have to be fully

transparent about our activities and involve the local environ-‐

Jan Dirk Bokhoven has been CEO of EBN since 2007. State company EBN is active in the exploration,

production, storing and trading of oil and gas. It generally participates for forty percent in explora-­

tion and production licenses and cooperates with oil and gas companies in that respect. EBN also

holds a forty-­percent stake in four underground gas storage facilities, one of which is Gas Storage

Bergermeer. In recent years, EBN has worked closely together with TAQA. Bokhoven is of the opinion

that Bergermeer can serve as a model for other gas projects in the Netherlands.

11INTERVIEW

Jan Dirk Bokhoven, CEO EBN

ment where possible. In addition to the technical challenges

involved to safely and sustainably win the gas, this is also one

of the main challenges facing the entire Dutch gas industry.

Vast amounts of knowledge are available, but so far we have

been insufficiently able to share this knowledge with Dutch

consumers and other target groups. We have not been clear

enough; not about our activities, not about the complexity of

the soil, not about the dangers and risks and also not about the

challenges which we are facing. We will need to become more

transparent and that is only possible if all parties in the sector

join forces. Obviously, we must be very mindful of the possi-‐

ble effects on the direct surroundings in that respect and take

these into consideration. Ultimately, a healthy natural gas sector

can not only offer a vital contribution to the Dutch economy;

it can also help achieve a sustainable economy at acceptable

costs.’

All available capacity already leased at auction

How did you see to it that the negotiations with TAQA Energy would result in maximum feasibility?

Bergen, all had differing ideas about gas storage in the Berger-‐

meer. The first three were soon favourable to the project, but

Bergen was against. Everyone, however, immediately agreed

that the gas treatment installation necessary for the storage

should not be built in the nature reserve. Alkmaar has a large

-‐

tion of how to attract more employment there. In that context

we saw the storage and treatment installations as an opportu-‐

nity. We have managed to sell the plot for the factory and the

a profit. We made an agreement about jobs during the con-‐

struction work and also about long-‐term jobs. To this end, TAQA

promised to move its head office to Alkmaar. Few people in

Alkmaar were against the arrival of the storage and the factory.

They are down-‐to-‐earth people and they had no negative ex-‐

perience with TAQA’s peak gas installation in the Boekelermeer.

A public security guarantee for resident neighbours was, ho-‐

surroundings in advance, so that any damage caused by building

or tremors could be easily resolved. We made contracts with

TAQA for any possible future damage. We also wanted to make

use of their network, especially to lure more companies in the

energy sector to this region. I have never had the feeling that

we were talking with an opponent, it was a matter of coope-‐

ration, and personal relationships were perfect. TAQA lived up

to their promises. During the construction work they saw to

it that there was as little inconvenience for the neighbours as

possible and they also invested in local cultural activities. They

are the main sponsor of the theatre in Alkmaar with a donation

of a million euros. This is now called TAQA Theater De Vest. In

theatre, but in general the Alkmaar people are happy with their

neighbour from Abu Dhabi.’

What was your wish list for the Ministry of

for the gas storage and treatment ifacility?

-‐

onal problem. I still remember a meaty discussion in the study

-‐

cious in the matter as to who should bear the risk. It was up to

-‐

ment installation. As far as we were concerned this should be

as small as possible in order to warrant the settlement of other

-‐

nister of Transport to build an exit to the Boekelermeer on the

an active part in developing an energy cluster in Alkmaar by

organizing an international energy conference and by appointing

an account manager in order to attract innovative industries.

-‐

nment subsidy to design a biomass burner in the region. I am

sorry to say the development in this matter is going too slowly,

but now it is up to the Province of North Holland to open up the

funds for sustainable energy.’

What would your advice be to local adminis-­trators, if such a large-­scale project is planned for in their region?

-‐

tion is: What do I wish to achieve? If this is not clear, you will

be a straying negotiator and the results will be accordingly. The

government should learn to be unanimous in its statements.

The government should learn to be unanimous in its statements’ Piet Bruinooge has been mayor of the city of Alkmaar since 2007. He already knew TAQA as the

owner of the peak gas installation at the Boekelermeer industrial estate in Alkmaar. When plans

for gas storage in the Bergermeer were revealed, Bruinooge and his council soon announced that

the necessary treatment units were also welcome in the Boekelermeer, at least, if the region

would get enough in return.

12

Piet Bruinooge,Mayor of the city of Alkmaar

Stimulating the economy of the region

of Alkmaar were soon on the same wavelength. We wanted to

stimulate the economy of the region. For this reason we were in

favour of the arrival of the gas storage if this would bring along

what the full extent of the project implied. It began to dawn on

from Abu Dhabi. This is something that does not happen very

often when you are a mayor. Then I also realized: they need us.

We were not so much the ones asking for favours and this made

it a lot easier to carry on negotiations.’

13INTERVIEW

Everyone in the Netherlands wants the heater to stay on’

yield to the Netherlands?

and for the gas market to function properly, it is important to

store gas in the Netherlands as well. These gas reserves serve

as a buffer and may protect our country against any inter-‐

ruption of the supply or any shortages as a result of increased

demand. Everyone in the Netherlands wants the heater to stay

on. If, all of a sudden, more gas is needed in the Netherlands,

for instance, during a severe winter, gas from the Bergermeer

storage can be deployed.’

hub strategy?

been the foundation for an affordable, reliable and relatively

clean energy supply. We are working towards a more sustainable

-‐

cent sustainable energy. Fossil fuels, and so also gas, will remain

important in the years to come to satisfy the entire demand

for energy in the Netherlands. It goes for the production that

in taking decisions on gas mining, the effect on safety comes

first. On the basis of new studies, the government will decide

in July whether gas mining in Groningen can be reduced to the

minimum which will guarantee a certainty of supply. We will also

have a look if a new gas mining system is feasible or if we will be

more dependent on other countries , like Russia, for our energy

supply. A decision on this matter will be taken by the govern-‐

see to it that the energy supply will remain guaranteed.’

What is the ideal mix of energy for the Netherlands in terms of percentages of coal, gas and renewables?

share of sustainable energy in the Netherlands will go up in the

years to come. For example, the government is doing its best to

increase wind farms at sea. In the Netherlands you see more and

more roofs with solar panels. In the years to come fossil fuels

will remain important to satisfy our demand for energy. To this

end, gas is preferable since it is cleaner than all other kinds of

fossil fuels. The less CO is emitted, the better.’

In the last few years gas prices have gone down. What does this mean for the Nether-­lands and what are the prospects in the longer run?

trade centres where the price is fixed on the basis of supply and

demand. The traditional linking of the gas price to the oil price

almost belongs to the past. The main trade centre for gas in

North Western Europe, and therefore in all of Europe, is now the

Dutch trade centre TTF. Here the gas price has remained stable

over the past few years, especially if you compare it to the

price of oil which has gone down considerably in recent years.

We did see a big drop in the difference in price between gas in

summer and in winter, though. This means we have succeeded

in establishing a functioning market as was intended in the gas

hub strategy. Not only does the market for the construction and

exploitation of large gas storages work well, but also the gas

market itself.’

What conditions for granting a licence to TAQA for the construction and exploitation of Gas Storage Bergermeer took longest to negotiate?

Mid 2011 Mark Dierikx stepped forward as Deputy Secretary of Energy, Telecom and Competition at

the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Just before that, the Second Chamber had given the go-­ahead to the

gas storage. Gas Storage Bergermeer has been designated as a project of national importance and is

part of the state’s gas hub strategy. According to Mr Dierkx the Netherlands cannot work towards a

more sustainable energy management in 2020 without large-­scale projects such as Bergermeer.

14

Mark Dierikx, Deputy Secretary of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs

has to comply with are regulated by law. The first Dutch gas

storage sites were built in Norg, Grijpskerk and Alkmaar. In the

Netherlands gas storage only takes place under strict conditi-‐

ons, for instance with regard to tremors. Apart from the existing

statutory regulations, TAQA entered into a covenant with the

municipalities involved with additional agreements on how to

How do you look back upon the course taken for granting the licence?

project fell under the arrangement for government coordi-‐

of Infrastructure and Environment were responsible for the

the coordination and the concessions. With a view to meticu-‐

lousness and effectiveness, intensive talks have been conducted

with all the municipalities involved and also with the Province of

Noord-‐Holland on the contents of these decisions. Important

parts of the region, like the municipalities of Alkmaar, Heiloo and

Schermer and also the Province of North Holland were favoura-‐

ble to the initiative.’

How will the Ministry of Economic Affairs

Bergermeer has come into operation?

inspections. Various commitments as to monitoring have been

included in the licence which TAQA has to comply with and

which enable supervision of the operational management.’

in large-­scale energy projects in the Netherlands?

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ply reliable, clean and safe. Our energy supply is becoming more

sustainable and we are going to use more different sources of

energy. Such a development cannot take place without large-‐

scale projects, new infrastructure and more local production

or storage of energy. It is up to the government to explain the

importance of all this to its citizens.’

Keeping a reliable energy supply

15INTERVIEW

The gas storage project required 44 permits from, to name but a few parties, municipali-­ties, the water board and Rijkswaterstaat (a division of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment). Combined, enough

legal advice do they contain?

such as the minimum groundwater levels that must be main-‐

tained and the maximum allowable noise levels during drilling.

Those applications were mainly prepared by TAQA’s own legal

the procedures surrounding the arrangement for government

coordination, which at the time was still in its infancy. The ar-‐

permits in one go for projects of national importance. As part

bears responsibility for the control but also for the coordination

in terms of implementation. Without this kind of coordination,

the decisions of various administrative bodies are taken at

various moments and they are assessed by different judges. In

this system, citizens often end up feeling tricked by so-‐called

salami tactics. People with objections would sometimes be told

stage, only to be told later by a different governmental body

that the deadline for lodging objections had already passed.

The coordination arrangement forces a clear overview of all the

implications of large-‐scale projects. Providing legal assistance in

before did I have to offer so much advice on potentially adverse

government bodies as in this project. In later arrangement for

government coordination projects which I advised on, the mi-‐

nistry was focused much stronger on safeguarding the objection

deadlines for all parties involved. This is also something that

TAQA had hoped for. That this was not the case for Gas Storage

Bergermeer I think is partially due to the lack of experience with

this arrangement and partially to the initial resistance among

local authorities.’

process of permit applications?

harmonious solutions, which TAQA strongly wanted, proved

Gas Storage Bergermeer. He too wanted to come to harmonious

solutions which would satisfy all the local government bodies.

The toughest issue was the safety ring around the gas treat-‐

ment facility in Alkmaar. The zoning plan was not the problem; it

allowed for the construction of this heavy installation there. But

the municipality did want to retain the option to allow offices

and facilities elsewhere on the industrial estate. So TAQA ended

up purchasing the land within the safety zone of Alkmaar for an

absolutely generous amount.’

at Bergermeer date from 2006. It took al-­most ten years for the facility to actually be realised. Is the Netherlands an international exception in terms of the many legal require-­ments that must be met before permits are issued?

size, but much of what TAQA wanted to realise as well as its

contracts with foreign clients such as Gazprom and Statoil are

covered by EU legislation. This means they are the same in

other member countries. But there are some notable diffe-‐

rences in culture. For example, there was a lot of discussion on

the preservation of grassland birds at Bergermeer. One ditch in

In the past, people often felt tricked by salami tactics’ Between 1994 and 2000, Godert van der Feltz offered legal advice on the drilling of gas in the

Wadden Sea. Currently, he advises on the concessions for shale gas extraction in the Noord-­

oostpolder and Brabant. From 2010 on, he has been advising TAQA in the judicial proceedings

surrounding the arrangement for government coordination. Gas Storage Bergermeer was one of

16

Godert van der Feltz,

Lawyer and co-‐owner of Van der Feltz Advocaten

particular turned out to be a meeting place for adolescent birds.

It was unknown whether TAQA’s derrick would have a disrup-‐

tive effect on their amorous behaviour. The province of North

Holland wanted a compensation area for the birds and TAQA

has provided this, up to and including protection against foxes.

uses green lights on the derrick to disturb the birds less. I think

that the board of TAQA in Abu Dhabi must have scratched their

heads more than once, wondering what this fuss about gras-‐

sland birds was all about. Fortunately, one of the CEOs was from

England; they are just as passionate there about nature as we

are here in the Netherlands, so he did understand.’

What is in the covenants that TAQA has entered into with the surrounding areas?

-‐

lities and the province in which TAQA promises to provide a clear

procedure to residents who suffer damage as a result of tre-‐

mors or construction work. By law, all citizens are already well

protected against these damages. However, cases in which the

affected parties must hire an expert who provides information

on the cause and extent of the damage. Citizens would rather

see a reversal of that burden of proof. In Groningen, everyone

wants the party which is building or drilling to prove that their

activities are not the cause of damage. But the burden of proof

is an important cornerstone of our legal system and covenants

do not change this. But they are convenient resources should

matters escalate despite the many agreements. For example, if

you are upset then how can you lodge a complaint with TAQA?

In line with the covenant, TAQA has made available an informa-‐

tion centre and a telephone number. On a website specifically

launched for this purpose, news and the results of ongoing

seismic surveys are published. The covenant also stipulates that

in the case of damage, both parties only need to use one single

independent expertise agency instead of separately hiring own

experts. The covenants help grease the legal wheels that af-‐

fected parties can already fall back on to begin with.’

Finding harmonious solutions proved very time-­consuming

17INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

18

Reports by TNO (Netherlands Organisation

(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) sug-­gest that the gas storage will only result in a slight chance of earthquakes, which will have a maximum strength of 3.9 on the Richter scale. Furthermore, tremors and soil move-­ment could also occur without the presence of the gas storage facility due to the fact that the

depleted as a result of gas extraction in the past. Did you take these factors into consid-­eration when formulating your point of view?

We felt that the safety risks were disproportionally high. During

of Economic Affairs was already defensive. That bothered me

is no stranger to gas extraction, which occurred at Bergermeer

cases of damage to homes being reported. And then a spokes-‐

person from the ministry in The Hague drops by to say that any

this will feel like a big truck driving past your house.

That was clearly very upsetting to the residents who still vividly

have made Bergermeer seismically unstable. Gas storage in it-‐

self is a safe technology, but its impact on a seismically unstable

area is almost impossible to study. In addition, Bergermeer is

poised to become the largest storage site of Northwest Europe.

We can only guess what all that pumping in and out of market-‐

have occurred in the Netherlands over time. This means that the

heavier the tremors in Groningen become – which has been the

case since the nineties -‐ the more this statistical boundary will

slide up. So who knows if Bergermeer will be struck by heavier

-‐

son for us to say: Bergen does not want the gas storage.’

against the storage facility?

-‐

municated clearly. The depleted gas field below Bergermeer

presented a substantial business opportunity so I understand

them wanting to capitalise on that. TAQA simply played by the

more disturbed by the attitude of the national government. This

thereafter, we filed our criticism of the plan due to the risk of

tremors near the built-‐up areas of Alkmaar and Bergen. Our

argument was that it is OK for the central government to allow

a high-‐risk economic activity, but that this may never come

at the expense of the safety of local residents. But a letter of

intent had already been signed by TAQA and the ministry as

the storage site supposedly fitted in with the vague gas hub

strategy of the government. As a small municipality, there is

not really that much you can do about that. The arrangement

for government coordination, in which decision-‐making powers

are shifted from the municipality to the national government

for large land-‐use projects of this kind, came into force a few

months later. That really fuelled our distrust. Did we actually

still have any say whatsoever about the things happening in our

backyard?’

The court case was expensive, but it did enable us to give Bergenaren a voice’Alwin Hietbrink is a former city councillor of Bergen and served on its municipal council as alderman for spa-­

facility in 2008, feeling that the safety risks were being downplayed. The various reports stating that the

probability of earthquakes was only slight did nothing to alleviate that feeling. Hietbrink and concerned resi-­

dents of Bergen turned to the country’s highest court, the Council of State, to stop the gas storage.

19INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

Alwin Hietbrink,

former GroenLinks Alderman of the municipality of Bergen

Bergermeer is a seismically unstable area

Would you have still approached the Council of State with the knowledge that is available today?

and ask the Council of State to rule on this. It is impossible for a

municipality to believe that the safety of citizens is being com-‐

promised but at the same time not act on this. We wanted to

give concerned residents a voice. But in the context of the crisis

and recovery act, the municipality was not able to launch any

further appeals. There was a committee of concerned citizens

who also joined the efforts to bring the case before the Council

of State. In the end, the trial and research costs amounted to

small municipality as Bergen. Which individual can afford such

a sum? We lost, yes. And there was also a substantial chance

we would lose, but we carefully discussed this in the municipal

council. Who else would have stood up for the interests of con-‐

cerned Bergenaren? This is the only way in which they were able

to take a stand and generate political attention.’

Which parties do you feel should have approached this project differently?

a communications course. In addition, it is unwise to change

the procedures en route, as was done with the arrangement

for government coordination. It reinforces the mistrust people

have of the government. Depriving local authorities of powers

also means depriving citizens of their voice. As the municipal

council, we felt like we were doing something wrong, while in

fact we were simply defending the interests of our inhabitants

-‐ a primary government task. For large land-‐use schemes, there

should be an ombudsman for citizens who can bring matters

to the attention of Dutch parliament. I also noticed that it was

-‐

ment. We eventually found a Norwegian expert to do this. But

in the Netherlands, no one was willing to; apparently, everybody

knows everybody else in the industry.’

20

Being the initiator of the gas hub strategy, are you happy with the realization of the largest North-­West European gas junction in Alk-­maar?

hurdles on the road to make things acceptable for the residents

and the municipalities and also to get the business case going.

I believe the targets of the gas hub strategy have not lost their

value and the Bergermeer is a definite proof. When I took office

problems relating to natural gas would present themselves

simultaneously. The importance of gas as a source of energy for

the industries and households was expected to increase. As a

result, the integration of the energy market in North-‐Western

Europe has become more important. In addition, the diversi-‐

fication of the supply from and to Europe was also becoming

more important, so that our supply would be less vulnerable. At

the same time it became clear that the availability of Dutch gas

such as: how can we see to it that our know-‐how on gas and

the infrastructure of gas in the Netherlands will remain relevant

and develop it any further? How can we ensure to make the

most of our geographical location? After Rehden in Germany,

Bergermeer is the largest storage in Europe and the largest

storage accessible to the open market. This is a good thing for

the reliability the Netherlands have in the field of gas.’

In 2011 your International Energy Agency sug-­gested that a Golden Age of Gas was to be expected. Now, four years later, what is the state of the golden gas age? What does this mean for the Netherlands?

one single gas market. In the United States a golden age of gas

has definitely dawned. The gas prices are low as a result of a

lot of domestic mining and easy transport. The same goes for

Russia; they produce a lot for domestic use. In the developing

economies of Asia gas plays a smaller part since the transport

and storage of gas is not so easy as with coal and oil. In Europe

the use of gas has recently got into a scrape as the result of a

-‐

sions. The use of gas over here has returned to the level of the

fuel during the transition towards a sustainable energy sys-‐

from sustainable sources of energy. If we wish to develop in

that direction, an increase in the use of gas should be the most

obvious choice. Nuclear energy is a problem in the Netherlands

and oil and coal are greater pollutants. Gas will continue to play

a vital role in Europe and Gasopslag Bergermeer will contribute

to a guaranteed supply.’

At the moment gas and gas mining have a ne-­gative reputation in the Netherlands, but also in general there is a growing social resistance against large energy projects. Is this an inter-­national phenomenon?

The “not in my backyard” discussions are spreading to “not on

billion people on the planet. They will all wish to have access to

electricity. If, on top of that, we also want to decrease the use

A good example of a shrewd on large-­scale and

As Minister of Economic Affairs in 2009, Maria van der Hoeven launched a gas hub strategy for

the Netherlands. For various reasons Gas Storage Bergermeer harmonized with this strategy. Since

2011 Van der Hoeven has been executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris.

For Europe as a whole, too, she regards the Bergermeer gas storage as a major energy junction.

21INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

Maria van der Hoeven,

Executive Director International Energy Agency

of fossil fuels, we will have to allow for more windfarms, solar

panels, hydro-‐electric power stations, terrestrial heat instal-‐

lations and other sustainable solutions. At the same time, there

are also some developments dealing with energy and electricity

issues in a more systematic way. For instance, some architects

industries and residents can be linked to the energy produced by

the city as a whole. An international gas storage as in Berger-‐

meer is also a part of shrewd, systematic and efficient thinking

about large-‐scale use of energy and supply.’

What lessons can the Netherlands learn from foreign countries as regards the planning of large-­scale energy projects of public interest?

debates are being held or where legislation is adjusted in order

to let the local people cash in on the yields of energy pro-‐

jects. These developments have, of course, been inspired by

experiences in the United States where different laws for the

extraction of minerals and the use of land apply. If you own the

land, you are automatically the owner of whatever lies under

your plot. As a result, people can take direct advantage of the

production of shale gas. Europe has different traditions in the

field of mining legislation. Here the State is the only authority

which has the right to collect public proceeds. I believe new

mechanisms will be needed in order to let the local population

participate in the development of energy projects. This may

have a significant impact on the way in which future energy

projects will be planned.’

Gas will continue to play a vital role in Europe

22

Why did Amoco contact your water board at the time for its plans to mine gas?

The soggy plots of polderland which emerged were so unusable

as farmland that the farmers did not want them. They remained

the property of the polder district and were leased out to the

farmers by lot, for instance, for stalling hay in summertime. That

of the sixties Amoco wanted to carry out a test drill for gas on

these Loterijlanden. This was allowed. I became a dike warden in

driller of Shell, visited me at home one Saturday afternoon to

discuss the matter. We had no idea that the gas was contained

in a porous stone stratum as he explained to us and we imagined

a year.’

Did the State, the council or the province lay down any conditions for the drilling by Amo-­co?

in the matter at all, that is how things were in those days. We

were concerned, even then, that the natural environment should

be left intact as much as possible. In the seventies the Berger-‐

meer already boasted rare meadow birds, ruffs for example. We

formulated in French and still dated from the days of Napoleon.

At the time I was never ever contacted by anyone of the State

on the gas mining in the Bergermeer. During the test drill-‐

ings Amoco used diesel engines and they caused a lot of noise.

They also just flared off the gas on the building site. After four

months they did take some measures to muffle the noise. When

invited us for an inspection in order to give the go-‐ahead. There

we were, three men of the polder board, walking the Amoco

site, helmets on our heads. We had no idea, but things looked

alright and so we gave our permission. De Wit literally raised his

hand and things started going at full speed. Of course, as a dike

warden I paid them regular visits to check on Amoco’s waste

water. Our cows used to drink from the ditches and we did not

want them to be polluted. We used to test the water in a basin.

If it was clean it could flow back into the polder, but dirty water

was disposed of. Every three months TAQA organizes a meeting,

and then they sometimes invite me to talk about those days.

Nowadays the procedure of that period can hardly be imagined

and fortunately times have changed.’

-‐

meer over a period of thirty, forty years and that, after this, the

land would be returned to its natural state. Amoco, however,

was taken over by a division of BP and this was again taken

over by TAQA. How could our polder board have suspected in

site? We were not happy about this, but I have always been

How could our polder board have imagined in 1971 that, forty years later, there would have been a gas storage on this site?’Jo Laan has been living in Alkmaar’s Groeneweg facing TAQA’s gas storage for forty years.

He is very much attached to the countryside. As the dike warden of the time, he signed in 1971,

Amoco for gas mining in the Bergermeer. In those days there was hardly any regulation.

23INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

Jo Laan, former Dike Warden living in the close vicinity of the gas storage

convinced that if The Hague wanted this, the new gas storage

would be allowed, no matter what. In my opinion it was no use

to oppose the decision and we and the community association

had better put some items on the agenda. For instance, noise,

any possible damage and any decrease in house value. TAQA has

confined the inconvenience to a minimum and decent contracts

were drawn up for any damage. Things have been better organ-‐

ized than in Groningen, but tremors are still a cause for concern.

Since the seventies we have sunk six centimetres. We knew

this could happen, but not that this would be accompanied by

tremors. When the gas field got exhausted the houses in the

Groeneweg stood shaking now and again during tremors. I do

not expect we will sink any further, for the gas storage has, on

the contrary, improved the subsoil pressure. There is, however,

sides is precision work. TAQA has given us a proper account of

how they intend to do this. What we were afraid of has been

made acceptable and presumably the storage site will, in future,

be invisible and we will finally have our view of the countryside

back again.’

View of the countryside back again

How did SodM assess the planning for and construction of Gas Storage Bergermeer?

that the trust in and reputation of an organisation or party

initiating a project plays an important role in our assessment.

Projects with a high risk and companies with a dubious reputa-‐

tion are subject to more scrutiny. Prior to our advice to the

TAQA’s gas storage in detail on aspects of safety, health and the

environment. Our three divisions which respectively focus on

technology, operational processes and the environment were

all involved in this. We have no fixed templates for assessments

because energy companies and spatial developments are not

the same. We employ about sixty full-‐time experts, which is

but a fraction of the in-‐house expertise of large oil companies.

Where necessary, we turn to external expertise. Regarding

seismic activity, we for example make use of the knowledge

access we have to the processes and best practices that are

present throughout the entire sector. Based on this, we advised

a traffic light system for accurately measuring seismic activities

at Bergermeer. Seismometers register the earth tremors during

the pumping in and out of gas. If these tremors exceed a certain

value, TAQA is obliged to take action. A risk management plan

has also been drawn up for this purpose. TAQA has consistently

taken our advices seriously and has implemented them.’

Can SodM intervene in accidents and earth-­quakes during gas production and gas stor-­age?

-‐

down the installation. But there is a limit to our mandate. As

inspector general, I cannot directly intervene in projects of great

societal significance such as the gas extraction in Groningen. In

such cases, we provide the minister with both solicited and un-‐

solicited advice. One of our advices for example was to reduce

the maximum production of gas in Groningen. But the extent to

which this maximum is actually reduced is ultimately a political

decision. Bergermeer does not involve gas extraction but gas

storage; the supervision in terms of safety and the environment

is the same. This means that the installations of TAQA, its op-‐

-‐

ports to us. Furthermore, we occasionally carry out announced

and unannounced inspections. While the wells were being drilled

and the plants were under construction our supervisors visited

on-‐site.’

How does the increasing attention to tremors and earthquakes affect the work of SodM?

now more public and political attention for mining extraction.

When I started as inspector general, my mission was to hold the

today’s supervision suffice for tomorrow? We cannot guarantee

is our aim to ensure that companies extract or store gas in such

a manner that the prospects of this occurring are minimal. This

means we should not cosy up to the industry or companies. In

this way, each inspectorate has the task of making those risks

to society manageable. We are energetically looking for ways to

better perform our tasks using more and new expertise.’

Which developments in the gas sector does SodM need to adapt to?

We must make societal risks manageable’

-­

zicht op de Mijnen, SodM) in September 2014. Sparked by the current social debate on gas, the role of

his organisation is shifting from supervisor working behind the scenes to inspector in the public eye;; a

shift to which SodM is seeking an appropriate response. Based on the sector-­wide best practices that

-­

mic activity at Gas Storage Bergermeer.

24

Harry van der Meijden,

Inspector General SodM

issuance, during the construction and in the operational phase.

In my position as inspector general, I have no opinion on the

government’s gas hub strategy but if it deems large-‐scale gas

projects important then the inspectorate must anticipate this.

Gas storage is relative new for the Netherlands, so we need to

approach this differently than gas extraction. At the same time,

we are noticing that as the gas fields become more depleted,

smaller organisations are capitalising on the market opportuni-‐

ties created by this. These are often new players that need to

be closely monitored. Aspects such as their financial stability,

focus on their operational capacity and processes in relation to

safety and the environment.’

Gas storage relatively new for the Netherlands

25INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

Discussing nature setoff claims is often far more effective if you do it in advance’

How important is nature in the Bergermeer for the Netherlands?

A large part of the world population of, for instance, blacktailed

godwits, lapwings and redshanks comes to the Netherlands

for the breeding season and in part these birds settle on the

Bergermeer. The polder landscape boasts many herbal plants

and is alive with insects the birds like to eat. As the soil is so

soggy, the grass will not grow very fast, which makes it easy for

the chicks to get about. The overall population of meadow birds

and also their natural habitat is decreasing as a result of changes

in agriculture. So bird sanctuaries are becoming increasingly

important and they are of international significance. We manage

the Loterijlanden in the Bergermeer and when TAQA disclosed

its plans for the gas storage, we were afraid the landscape

would be affected. The landscape in the entire range of dunes

of North Holland is cluttered, and the Bergermeer polder is a

nice exception. We wanted to keep it that way.’

Apart from the municipality of Bergen, Natuurmonumenten was one of the parties taking legal action to the Council of State

the gas storage and what the pumping in and pumping out of

the gas might do to the soil. We were particularly concerned

about the digging activities for the mains and drills during the

construction period. For instance, we did not want TAQA to

drill in the Loterijlanden plot itself, but diagonally from a nearby

site. We did not want the drilling to happen during the breeding

season. We made these wishes clear to TAQA right from the

start. They listened to us during these talks and we openly said

that we would defend our wishes up to the Council of State

and TAQA understood. At the end of the day the Council ruled

against us arguing diagonal drilling would prove too costly and

an interruption of the drilling during the breeding season would

mean that the entire drilling period would take too long resulting

in various other undesirable effects. In spite of the ongoing

lawsuit we kept talking with TAQA about possible solutions if

the drilling proceeded anyway. TAQA offered to purchase more

hectares of setoff ground than they were legally liable to, and to

place them under Natuurmonumenten’s control. We also made

arrangements about the digging. The pipeline trajectories were

decided on in consultation, and the top layer of the polder with

its grasses and flowers was preserved and returned after the

pipes were in the ground.’

Did Natuurmonumenten use a different approach than usual for this project?

It was also a novelty for Natuurmonumenten to have talks on

this subject. Our people are happy with the results. TAQA has

encroached upon nature in good faith and they have invested

time and money in the compensation. Staying in touch is bet-‐

ter than not talking to one another. In my experience the talks

between TAQA and Natuurmonumenten have always been open,

we also pursue the same two-‐track policy as with TAQA. In the

past, for example, Natuurmonumenten used to protest against

a zoning scheme or a specific application for a concession with

to a project, we try to find out if we can gain some profit for

nature and landscape in concord with the initiator. This is often

far more effective.’

Krijn Jan Provoost was the North Holland region manager of Natuurmonumenten, the nature preserving

organization in charge of the Loterijlanden under which gas is laid up by TAQA. Natuurmonumenten

protested against the storage and took legal action as far as the Council of State. They lost the case, but

managed to make proper arrangements with TAQA about nature conservation in the Bergermeer area.

26

Krijn Jan Provoost, District Manager of Natuurmonumenten (Dutch National Trust)

Habitat for meadow birds of international importance

What lessons has Natuurmonumenten learnt from its involvement in the gas storage?

the Council of State. But if the project carries on anyhow, it is

wise to have come to an agreement on nature setoff before-‐

of how we should conduct a dialogue with companies. Of

respect I see power companies and initiators of large planning

environment, the neighbours and the company’s own employ-‐

ees, is becoming increasingly important. The Rotterdam dock in-‐

dustry, for instance, wants to be the most sustainable harbour in

the world. These things make it easier to discuss setoff claims.

Natuurmonumenten also has regular dealings with Hoogovens.

They do stick to the environment laws, but, of course, their

activities have an impact on their surroundings. They talk with

us to see what can be done about this.

A two-‐track policy can also be problematic. Rijkswaterstaat

invited Natuurmonumenten to talks about the construction of

the Blankenberg tunnel, a project we are dead set against, to

see how this could best be fitted in. If you accept this invitation,

this will convey the impression that you have already accepted

the intervention and, as a result, local environmentalists and

residents will be suspicious of us. We are an association and we

will always have to allow for our supporters’ opinions. On top of

that Rijkswaterstaat stated in advance that the fitting-‐in must

not cost too much. We are not taking part in such a kind of pro-‐

cedure. TAQA has never acted this way. On the contrary, they

ask Natuurmonumenten to insist with the Province, which has

to allocate the nature reserves, that the setoff area is actually

laid down.’

27INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

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