Looking Back, Looking Ahead - Gas Sector Developments in the Netherlands and the EU: from Manufactured Gas via Natural Gas to Biogas

The discovery of the gas field in Groningen became world news in 1960. Within a few years almost every household switched to natural gas and subsequently the use of manufactured gas and refinery gas came to an end. A national grid was established and cross-border connections were made in order to supply household and industrial consumers with natural gas. The oil crisis in the 1970s shifted the approach from 'sell' to 'preserve' and led to the development of numerous small gas fields, onshore as well as offshore. This situation lasted for a few decades but changed owing to a process of gas market liberalisation and policies regarding supply security and climate change. Therefore, the focus is now on renewable energy sources, such as biogas. However, in order to introduce biogas on a large scale, several obstacles need to be removed.