Permits & Timeline

On 3 June 2022, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate made the final permits for N05-A available for inspection. With these permits, the Dutch government gives the green light for the development of gas field N05-A and surrounding prospects in the North Sea. Below an overview of the various phases of the licensing process and the next steps for this North Sea gas project.

December 2024

First gas available from N05-A

Everything is planned to start gas production from N05-A before the winter of 2024/2025.

From 18 April 2024

Start offshore drilling and installation activities

All preparations are aimed at starting operations in the North Sea upon a positive court ruling. The necessary contracts for this have already been signed.

 

24 April 2023

Part of permits suspended by preliminary injunction

The preliminary injunction judge suspended part of the N05-A permits in April 2023 due to the general nitrogen problems in the Netherlands, which for various reasons challenge almost all large-scale construction projects in the Netherlands. The suspension applies only to temporary construction work in the North Sea.

The procurement and construction of the N05-A facilities (such as the platform) are not hindered by the court ruling and has continued as planned. Following a positive ruling in the court case on the merits, filed by opponents of project N05-A, installation work will begin in the North Sea to ensure the availability of this natural gas by the end of 2024. The court ruling is expected from mid-April 2024.

1 September 2022

Final Investment Decision for N05-A

ONE-Dyas, together with partners EBN and Hansa Hydrocarbons, has made a final investment decision for the development of the N05-A gas field in the North Sea. The decision involves a sum of over EUR 500 million. This makes it the largest Dutch investment in a natural gas development in the past 15 years.

After the Dutch government issued the permits for the development of gas field N05-A, the project has now entered a phase of concrete preparations and investments. All this to ensure that before the winter of 2024, this local natural gas will be available to Dutch and German households.

3 June 2022

Final permits for N05-A available for inspection

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) has issued the final permits for the development of the N05-A gas field and surrounding prospects in the North Sea. The final permit decisions are available for inspection from 3 June to 15 July 2022. All documents can be downloaded from www.rvo.nl/gaswinning-N05.

18 February 2022

Final advice of Commission for EIA

The Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment has issued the assesssment advice on the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for gas production N05-A in the North Sea. The conclusion is that the EIR contains the essential environmental information to make a decision about the gas production in block N05-A. In the EIR, the usefulness and necessity of the project are sufficiently described, according to the Commission.

23 April 2021 - 3 juni 2021

Draft permit decisions available for public inspection

The draft permission decision for the extraction plan, the draft environmental permit and the draft permit for the installation of the pipeline and power cable and the respective applications will be available for inspection from 23 April 2021. During the six weeks, there is an opportunity to submit a view to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Change and to ask questions to the Ministry or ONE-Dyas. All documents can be downloaded from www.rvo.nl/gaswinning-N05, where you will also find the question form. You can ask questions or submit your views until 3 June 2021.

16 oktober 2020

Submission of production plan and permit applications (incl. EIA)

15 November 2019

Publication of views on the Notification N05-A

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate has published the bundle with all views and reactions to the notification intent environmental impact assessment ‘gas production N05-A’.

9 October 2019

EIA Committee advises Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy on directives

28 August, 4 & 10 September 2019

Drop-in information sessions

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate organises drop-in sessions for Dutch and German stakeholders in Roodeschool (28 August), Borkum (4 September) and Schiermonnikoog (10 September).

9 August 2019

Public display of the notification

On 9 August 2019, the notification was published on www.bureau-energieprojecten.nl and uvp.niedersachsen.de.

The notification was also available for viewing during opening hours in:

  • Municipality of Schiermonnikoog, Nieuwestreek 5, Schiermonnikoog
  • Municipality of Hogeland, Hoofdstraat-West 1, Uithuizen
  • Stadt Borkum, Neue Strasse 1, Borkum
  • Gemeinde Krummhörn, Rathausstraße 2, Krummhörn

3 June 2019

Submission of the notification N05-A (‘Mededeling’) by ONE-Dyas