In 2021, Russia supplied about 40% of the EU’s gas. In 2022, after European leaders imposed sanctions on Russian energy sources, it immediately led to price hikes with a knock-on effect on European standards of living. People are affected by consumer goods prices increasing more than 3 times, while being almost unable to pay their heating bills. Both citizens and authorities of different levels are looking for ways to replace Russian gas supplies by alternative energy sources. Are there any good options?
European leaders hope that the Groningen gas field, which is among the largest fields in the North Sea, will allow them to substitute the energy decrease in volume. In 2022, the Netherlands’ government increased gas production in the field instead of closing it as was originally planned. Though its exploitation has resulted in more than a thousand earthquakes in the field over the past 30 years. Moreover, their magnitude and frequency increases from year to year.
Watch: Here