Due to rising demand for gas and growing imports and exports within Europe, more gas will be offered at a number of border points in the Dutch gas transmission network over the coming years. This gas will be sold to domestic and foreign customers.

Gasunie has now conducted an exploratory survey of future demand for transport capacity, in cooperation with various market players (shippers and energy companies). It found that demand for the expansion of the gas transmission network was particularly high, especially from the northeast of the country to the southwest and southeast of the Netherlands.

The proposed North-South route will provide the Netherlands with the extra kilometres of pipeline and compressor stations its needs. Planning permission and consent is now therefore being sought.

As is usual with these types of project, Gasunie will begin by compiling a project timetable. This will be used as the basis for consultations with relevant stakeholders, such as the provincial authorities, municipalities and local residents. The results of these discussions will be included in the further planning, which will lead to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), among other evaluations. Detailed talks will also be held, and agreements concluded, with the operators of adjoining networks in Germany and Belgium. Construction work is started in 2008 and the first section of the new pipeline extension should be ready to be taken into use by the end of 2010. The overall project should be completed by 2012. The introductory memorandums for the Environmental Impact Assessment have now been published.

For more information, please visit the 'Noord-Zuid Route' website (in Dutch).