Dutch cabinet seeks to make gas suppliers hold winter stocks

The Dutch government wants to require gas suppliers to hold winter stocks, shifting responsibility for seasonal storage from the state to the market, according to an ANP report published by Nieuws.nl on 25 September. [1]

Climate Minister Stientje van Veldhoven, of D66, outlined the proposed change in a letter to the House of Representatives. The plans are aimed at autumn 2028, but no supplier obligation has been confirmed as enacted. [1]

The cabinet also intends to press for the abolition of EU gas-storage filling targets. If those targets remain, Van Veldhoven would prefer suppliers to take responsibility for seasonal stocks. She is exploring whether a supplier obligation could be introduced earlier in the Netherlands, although the report gives no date for such a move. [1]

The proposal comes as the government is already finding it difficult to secure sufficiently filled storage facilities in 2026, ANP reports. Van Veldhoven’s assessment is that the current policy no longer works and that the government’s role in the gas market needs to change. The report provides no storage-level figures or spending totals. [1]

Alongside the proposed shift, the government has previously announced plans for an emergency gas reserve containing 5 terawatt-hours of energy. That reserve could be enlarged if the EU filling targets are abolished. The figure describes a planned reserve, not gas already held in stock. [1]