Friesland wants one-third of revenue from onshore gas extraction, offered only 5 percent

Frisian authorities say the Dutch government’s plan for onshore gas extraction gives regions too little revenue and lacks a clear phase-out strategy. The gas sector and Climate Minister Sophie Hermans (VVD) have agreed that regions extracting gas will receive 5 percent of the revenue. Projects producing more than 2 billion cubic meters must instead enter into “custom agreements” with local governments.

Frisian officials—including the province, municipalities, and water board—say a third of the revenue would be fair. They also argue that Hermans’s promise of a “responsible phase-out of onshore gas extraction” does not show a clear path to 2045.

“There are positive points in the agreement,” said Friso Douwstra, Frisian provincial executive. "We are paying more attention to safety, for example." But the current profit-sharing proposal is insufficient and not proportionate to the impact of mining activities on the living environment.”

Frisian authorities also say vulnerable landscapes, such as peat meadow areas, are not excluded from gas extraction. The agreement states that the location of gas projects should take sensitive natural areas into account.