Annual report 2025 Natural resources and geothermal energy in the Netherlands

The decline in Dutch gas production is slowing down

The Annual Report 2025 shows that Dutch natural gas production continues to decline, but at a slower pace than in previous years. An important reason for this is that gas production in the North Sea has remained virtually stable.

In 2025, a total of approximately 8 billion Nm³ of natural gas was produced. This is significantly less than annual Dutch gas demand, which is around 30 billion Nm³. As a result, the Netherlands remains dependent on natural gas imports.

Geothermal energy: drilling and production in 2025

In 2025, nine geothermal drilling operations were carried out in 2025. Five of these were part of the SCAN programme, which gathers data on the Dutch subsurface to better assess opportunities for geothermal energy development. In total, 7.7 PJ of geothermal energy was produced in 2025.

The importance of the subsurface for the energy transition continues to grow

The subsurface is playing an increasingly strategic role in energy security, sustainability, and the future energy supply of the Netherlands. This is also reflected in the Annual Report 2025: the Dutch subsurface is being used more intensively and for an increasing number of purposes.

Where the focus was once primarily on the extraction of natural resources such as natural gas and salt, the subsurface is becoming increasingly important for heat supply and energy storage.

The Annual Report outlines the various applications currently in use and under consideration. For example, the subsurface is used for natural gas storage, while future applications such as hydrogen and CO₂ storage are being explored. Geothermal energy is also becoming increasingly important as a sustainable source of heat.

Read the Annual Report 2025