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.
The test phase of production from the N05-A platform began, with natural gas being produced. The natural gas is transported to the mainland via the new short pipeline and the existing NGT pipeline.
The Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie (LBEG), part of the Lower Saxony Ministry for Economy, Transport, Construction and Digitalization, has granted ONE-Dyas the permits for the development of the N05-A gas field and surrounding prospects in the German part of the North Sea. This means that ONE-Dyas now has all approvals in Germany and the Netherlands for this Dutch-German energy project in the North Sea.
The German preliminary injunction court has ruled that ONE-Dyas may not start laying a marine cable in the North Sea between the N05-A gas production platform and the German wind farm RIFFGAT. The court considers a further investigation into compensation measures necessary before the court can rule. Pending the ruling, ONE-Dyas may not proceed with the construction of the cable.
The Niedersächsiche Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz (NLWKN) has granted an additional exemption for reef biotope as a precautionary measure and ordered the immediate enforceability of all permits.
The Dutch Council of State (Raad van State) has ruled that ONE-Dyas can continue the offshore activities on gas production project N05-A.
The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) published the recovery decision for gas production project N05-A on Wednesday 29 May 2024. This allows ONE-Dyas to resume operations in the North Sea.
The court ruled in favour of ONE-Dyas and ministries of EZK and LNV on almost all grounds, including climate, subsidence, seismicity, emissions to air and water, the Borkum Stones and many environmental grounds, but also gives homework to do, particularly around the nitrogen issue.
Opponents of gas extraction project N05-A have filed a case against the Ministry of Economic Affairs for granting the licences to ONE-Dyas. The first hearing of these proceedings on the merits was on 28 September 2023, in which the court decided to discuss the objections related to nitrogen deposition at a separate hearing on 25 January 2024. The court indicated it expected to rule on 18 April 2024.
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.
The first steel is cut in December 2022. Construction of the platform is done in Schiedam. In summer 2024, the platform is transported to its location in the North Sea.
For the materials, installation and transport of platform N05-A, ONE-Dyas cooperated almost exclusively with Dutch and German companies. It is a conscious choice that contributes to the local economy and ensures the retention of employment, knowledge and infrastructure that we desperately need now and in the future for the energy transition.
The Niedersächsiche Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz (NLWKN) has issued a permit for the laying of the submarine cable between the production platform and the wind farm. This connection will ensure that the production platform runs entirely on wind energy.
The Niedersächsiche Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz (NLWKN) has granted from a supplementary permit for any gravel bed biotope present.
Lower Saxony’s Weser-Ems Regional Development Agency has confirmed that no spatial planning procedure is required for gas extraction project N05-A.
With the Joint Declaration between the Dutch and Lower Saxony governments, the two governments indicate the importance of the development of the GEMS area and promise to expeditiously grant the permits needed to make the development possible.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Safety has granted ONE-Dyas the final environmental permits for the development of the N05-A gas field in the North Sea. With the final permits, the Dutch government gives the green light for extraction of natural gas from the N05-A field and surrounding fields in the North Sea.
The Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie (LBEG) has issued a production licence for the German part of the N05-A field. This means that ONE-Dyas has been granted the right to extract the gas from the German part of N05-A field to the exclusion of other companies.
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.
On 13 October 2020, ONE-Dyas submitted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs the N05-A extraction plan and the applications for the environmental permit and the permits for the installation of the pipeline and power cable.
On 5 October 2020, ONE-Dyas submitted to the Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie (LBEG), a Scoping Paper. This describes the intention of an Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung procedure (UVP procedure) for drilling from platform N05-A into German territory.
On 12 November, ONE-Dyas submitted an application to the Niedersächsiche Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz (NLWKN) for the proposed cable connection between platform N05-A in the Netherlands and offshore wind farm Riffgat in Germany.
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).
ONE-Dyas discovered in 2017 that natural gas can be extracted from a new small field: field N05-A. It is very likely that other small fields can also be developed in the vicinity of this field.