Subsurface storage

Subsurface storage takes advantage of the often very large storage capacity in depleted gas reservoirs and cavities in the subsurface. The pore systems of depleted gas fields left behind after the gas initially in place has been produced provide storage capacity. Caverns (i. e. cavities in rock salt that are created by solution salt mining) can also be used for storage.

A storage licence is required for storing substances in the subsurface. The licence holder’s storage plan must also have been approved. Storage plans provide information on the geological setting and the storage procedure. These plans can be found by using the data center.

New production- and production licences are avaible for consideration to the public as a part of the appliciation procedure. These and accompanying documents can be found here.

Five underground gas storage facilities are currently operational in the Netherlands; one of these is in a salt cavern and the other four are in depleted gas fields.

In addition to gas, other substances are also stored in the subsurface. Near Heiligerlee, for example, a salt cavern is used for nitrogen storage, while there are also plans for carbon-dioxide storage in a depleted gas field off the coast. A number of salt caverns near Enschede in the north-eastern Netherlands are being used for storing diesel fuel.

Storage of brackish water involves re-injecting brackish water that is left after the purification of drinking water. This type of storage is quite different from the other types of storage covered by the Mining Act. The reason brackish water is included here is because it is injected deeper than a hundred metres and is therefore subject to the Mining Act. 

More information in Datacenter

Natural gas

Nitrogen

  • Heiligerlee (Winschoten)

Gasoil

Brine

  • no active projects 

General information about subsurface storage related to spatail planning can be found here