The Dutch government has announced plans for the Netherlands to completely phase out the purchasing of Russian gas and coal supplies by the end of 2022.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February, governments across Europe - including in the Netherlands - have faced increasing public pressure to halt all use of Russian gas and bring an end to international support of the Russian energy industry. In spite of the fact that the Netherlands continues to face rising energy prices, Rob Jetten, the Dutch minister for climate and energy, has announced the cabinet's plans to completely phase out all purchases of Russian gas by the end of 2022.
Over the coming months, the cabinet will work to fill all Dutch gas storage facilities to prepare for the winter. The cabinet also plans to draw up new financial schemes in order to partially compensate for the rising cost of energy.
Around 15 percent of the energy consumed in the Netherlands comes from Russian supplies, amounting to approximately six billion cubic metres of gas. Russian supplies will be replaced by the increased import of liquid gas (LNG) and other more sustainable energy sources.