The Netherlands: Gasunie Opens New Installations

Two new Gasunie locations were officially opened by mayor Smit van Oldambt and deputy mayor Batelaan van Menterwolde.

These are the nitrogen buffer in Heiligerlee, the first underground nitrogen buffer in the Netherlands, and the associated installation in Zuidbroek (Groningen). The mayors opened the valves in front of more than a hundred invited guests.

Foreign gas from, for example, Norway or Russia, has a higher calorific value than Dutch natural gas. By mixing the foreign gas with nitrogen, Gasunie can make it suitable for Dutch homes. With nitrogen buffer Heiligerlee, Gasunie now has access to an underground storage facility for nitrogen. Gasunie can call on this at peak times to ensure there is sufficient gas of the correct quality. As Dutch gas supplies are gradually declining, gas from other countries will start to occupy an increasingly prominent role in the energy mix.

Paul van Gelder, CEO Gasunie: “Nitrogen buffer Heiligerlee is a coup for us as the first underground storage facility in the Netherlands. The buffer will have an important function in the Dutch energy supply thanks to its flexibility. As the cleanest fossil fuel and partner to sustainable energy sources, natural gas will continue to play a significant part, also as part of the sustainable energy mix of the future.”

The installation Heiligerlee nitrogen buffer is spread over two locations: the underground nitrogen buffer in a former salt cavern in Heiligerlee and the mixing station in Zuidbroek, where nitrogen production and conditioning also take place. The Zuidbroek location has a number of connections to Gasunie’s main transport pipelines.

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LNG World News Staff, November 23, 2012; Image: Gasunie