The Council of State, or supreme court, has called a temporary halt to the development of an underground gas storage project north of Amsterdam, pending more research and a definitive court case.

A consortium led by Taqa, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi national energy company, plans to inject natural gas into an empty gas reservoir over two kilometres deep under the Bergermeer polder. This would create the biggest natural gas storage facility in mainland Europe.
The scheme is part of Dutch government efforts to turn the Netherlands into a European gas hub and would contain over four billion cubic metres of gas – enough to supply 1.6 million Dutch households for a year.
The council of state said on Monday it is putting a temporary stop to developments which would otherwise be irreversible pending further research into the legal complexities of the case.
There is wide opposition to the plan and the temporary halt will not affect Dutch gas supplies in the short term, the council said. In addition, ‘it cannot be ruled out that the gas storage facility will have consequences for its immediate surroundings’.
Delays
The fact that Taqa wants to get started on the project right away is no more important that the rights of the objectors, the council said.
A spokeswoman for Taqa told news agency ANP the project would now run up delays because no more preparatory work could be carried out. ‘We are going to see what we can do to limit the effect of the decision,’ she said.
Natural heritage group Natuurmonument and Bergen local council oppose the scheme but other local authorities gave up their opposition after the government promised to draw up an economic compensation package.