Draft licence for EemsEnergyTerminal to handle naturally occurring radioactive materials
The ANVS intends to authorise EemsEnergyTerminal’s licence application for handling naturally occurring radioactive materials at the port of Eemshaven in Groningen. Until 7 May 2025, all individuals are welcome to make their submissions in response to this draft licence.
Natural radioactivity associated with gas extraction
EemsEnergyTerminal supplies gas in the Netherlands and Europe and has a floating LNG terminal in Eemshaven, where liquefied natural gas (LNG) is converted back to its gaseous state. Natural gas, which is the raw material for LNG, can naturally contain small amounts of radioactive materials which are brought to the surface along with the natural gas during the pumping process. The radioactive materials remain as deposition on components of the LNG plant. EemsEnergy requires a licence to handle the radioactive materials, allowing the company to temporarily store LNG and perform plant maintenance and cleaning.
Operational safety first
We have assessed the licence application and have determined that EemsEnergyTerminal is taking adequate measures to guarantee the safety of workers and the environment. No discharge of radioactivity into the surrounding area is made from the plant, for example. Additionally, radiation from contaminated components of the LNG plant has not been detected at the site boundary.
Temporary exemption decision for the time being
It takes a while for a licence to be finalised. Currently, we are tolerating EemsEnergyTerminal’s operation of the LNG plant without a licence until 8 June 2025, since adequate protections are already in place for people and the environment. This was laid down in a temporary exemption decision (in Dutch) in December 2024. The construction of the LNG plant was fast-tracked in 2022 to increase energy security in the Netherlands and reduce dependency on Russian natural gas.
Responses welcome until 7 May 2025
You can review the draft licence (in Dutch) for EemsEnergyTerminal until midnight on 7 May 2025. If you have any views on this draft licence you wish to present, you may do so by stating a view. This can be done in three ways:
By email
Send an email to Postbus.Aanvragenenmelden@anvs.nl and put ‘Statement of view concerning draft licence for EemsEnergyTerminal’ in the subject line of your email.
In writing
Send a letter to the ANVS, Statement of view concerning draft licence for EemsEnergyTerminal, P.O. Box 16001, 2500 BA, The Hague.
By telephone
Call the Information Desk for Nuclear Energy Act licences at +31 (0)88 489 05 00, available from Monday to Friday between 8.30 and 17.00.
Response in final licence
We will respond to the views that have been stated once we have made a final decision on EemsEnergyTerminal’s licence application. We will include the stated views and our response to them in our final decision on the licence. We will publish this decision on our website. If you have submitted a statement of view, we will inform you of our decision.
Further information
More information on natural radioactivity in oil and gas extraction can be found on our website (in Dutch). You can also read the official announcement (in Dutch) in the Government Gazette.