Dutch Gas Platform to Be Powered by German Offshore Wind Gets Go-Ahead

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate has granted ONE-Dyas the permits for the development of a gas field whose platform will run entirely on the electricity from the Riffgat offshore wind farm in the German part of the North Sea.

The final permit greenlights the production of natural gas from the N05-A field and surrounding fields in the North Sea, for which the Dutch oil and gas exploration and production operating company says aligns with the government’s small fields policy.

ONE-Dyas aims to deliver the first natural gas to Dutch and German households from the N05-A field by the end of 2024.

The N05-A platform will be installed some 20 kilometres north of the islands of Borkum, Rottumerplaat and Schiermonnikoog, and approximately one and a half kilometres from German waters, from where it will receive electricity generated by the first commercially operated wind farm in the German North Sea.

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate announced plans to grant ONE-Dyas licences for bringing the N05-A gas field into production in April last year.

On 18 February 2022, the Commission for Environmental Assessment approved the project’s final environmental impact report and acknowledged the usefulness and necessity of the project. The Commission also expressed its appreciation for the electrification of the platform, which will help limit emissions, according to ONE-Dyas.

“Project N05-A and the energy transition go hand in hand. The transition to 100% renewable energy takes time. Natural gas will still be part of the energy mix in the coming decades. As long as natural gas is still needed to heat our homes, it is our job to make sure it is as clean, affordable and reliable as possible”, said Chris de Ruyter van Steveninck, CEO ONE-Dyas.

The 113.4 MW Riffgat offshore wind farm, built by EWE in 2013, comprises 30 Siemens Gamesa 3.6 MW wind turbines installed some 15 kilometres to the north-west of the German island of Borkum.

While the N05-A platform will not be the first in the North Sea to run on wind energy, it will be the first to do so entirely, since the Hywind Tampen floating wind farm – which will soon be built to power the Snorre and Gullfaks offshore oil & gas platforms in Norway – will cover 35 per cent of the annual power needs on the five platforms in the two fields.

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