Europe / Caspian / CIS
Country profile: Netherlands
| Location: | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany |
| Climate: | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters |
| Terrain: | mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast |
| Size: | 41526 sq. km total (Land area: 33883 sq. km Water area: 7643 sq.km) |
| Population: | 16,645,313 (July 2008 est.) |
| Languages: | Dutch (official), Frisian (official) |
| Government: | constitutional monarchy |
| Capital city: | Amsterdam |
| Legal system: | based on civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| Currency: | euro (EUR) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
Significant North Sea oil and natural gas reserves were discovered in the 1970s. However, the North Sea did not emerge as a key, non-OPEC oil producing area until the 1980s and 1990s, when major projects began coming onstream. Oil and natural gas extraction in the North Sea's inhospitable climate and great depths requires sophisticated offshore technology. Consequently, the region is a relatively high-cost producer, but its political stability and proximity to major European consumer markets have allowed it to play a major role in world oil and natural gas markets. Five countries operate crude oil and natural gas production facilities in the North Sea: Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Although the region will continue to be a sizable crude oil producer, output from its largest producers - the UK and Norway - has peaked and entered a period of long term decline. In the near term, improved oil recovery technologies, continued high oil prices and new projects coming online could temporarily delay declines in North Sea crude oil output. Nonetheless, only new discoveries of sizable volumes could reverse the current downward trend of oil production from the North Sea. In regards to natural gas, the North Sea is also seen as a mature region.
Only Norway has seen an increase in natural gas production in recent years, while the UK will likely become a net gas importer in the midterm. Nevertheless, the North Sea’s importance as a key supplier of natural gas will continue, as natural gas consumption in Europe will increase significantly in the future. Imports from outside sources, such as Africa, the Middle East and Russia, will have to increase to compensate for the North Sea decline.
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 76,000 bbl/day (2006) | 77 billion cu m (2006) |
| Consumption: | 1 million bbl/day (2006) | 47 billion cu m (2006) |
| Exports: | 1 million bbl/day (2006) | 50 billion cu m (2006) |
| Imports: | 2 million bbl/day (2006) | 22 billion cu m (2006) |
| Reserves: | 106 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) | 1 trllion cu m (2007) |
| Major fields: |
Netherlands - recent news
| 03 Apr 26 |
TNO develops world’s first perovskite solar roof tile Dutch research and technology organisation TNO has developed the world’s first perovskite solar roof tile. Researchers at TNO have successfully applied a perovskite solar module on foil to a roof tile. Despite its curved shape, the solar roof tile module achieves an energy efficiency of 12.4%. This marks an important step towards better integrating solar energy into the built environment, creating more room for sustainable electricity generation without additional pressure on land or infrastructure. |
| 02 Apr 26 |
Netherlands: Wind power fuels semiconductor innovation: RWE deepens cooperation with ASML RWE expands Power Purchase Agreement with ASML, which has been in place since 2021, to 130 megawatts of installed renewable capacity and extends it until 2038. |
| 31 Mar 26 |
Netherlands: Surveys begin on new pipeline corridor supporting Dutch energy transition Fugro, in partnership with engineering consultancy Sweco, has begun soil investigation fieldwork for the Delta Rhine Corridor West (DRC West). Commissioned by Gasunie, this major infrastructure project will create new pipelines linking industrial areas between Rotterdam, Moerdijk and Boxtel. |
| 12 Feb 26 |
Netherlands/Germany: Europe's offshore gas industry hits new milestone with North Sea's first 'Grade A' methane-certified gas project Europe’s transition to offshore gas production with lower methane emissions has reached a new milestone. The Dutch-German N05-A gas development, operated by Netherlands-based exploration and production company ONE-Dyas, has become the first natural gas production project in the North Sea to be independently certified as meeting the highest grade under MiQ’s methane emissions standard. |
| 09 Feb 26 |
Netherlands: Equinor and Eneco sign 5-year gas agreement for supplies to the Netherlands Equinor and Eneco have signed a 5-year agreement for deliveries of gas to Eneco, a main supplier of natural gas, electricity and heat in the Netherlands. The volumes are up to 0.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year with deliveries to the Dutch gas grid from 1 February this year. |
Netherlands - more news
Other countries in this region
- Afghanistan,
- Albania,
- Armenia,
- Austria,
- Azerbaijan,
- Belarus,
- Belgium,
- Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- Bulgaria,
- Croatia,
- Cyprus,
- Czech Republic,
- Denmark,
- Estonia,
- Faroe Islands,
- Finland,
- France,
- Georgia,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Greenland,
- Hungary,
- Iceland,
- Ireland,
- Italy,
- Kazakhstan,
- Kyrgyzstan,
- Latvia,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Malta,
- Moldova,
- Montenegro,
- Norway,
- Poland,
- Portugal,
- Romania,
- Russia,
- Serbia,
- Slovakia,
- Slovenia,
- Spain,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- Tajikistan,
- Tatarstan,
- Turkey,
- Turkmenistan,
- Ukraine,
- United Kingdom,
- Uzbekistan
