Equinor and Eneco have signed a five-year agreement for the supply of natural gas to the Netherlands, with deliveries of up to 0.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year.
Under the agreement, gas deliveries to the Dutch gas grid began on February 1 this year. Eneco is a major supplier of natural gas, electricity and heat in the Netherlands.
The deal covers gas with a lower-than-average greenhouse gas footprint, as production and transport on the Norwegian continental shelf have a smaller emissions footprint than other gas sources supplied to Europe, according to the companies.
In addition to gas supply, Equinor will transfer guarantees of origin, referred to as sustainability qualities, to Eneco via a platform operated by Attributes SAS. Eneco said its reported carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by more than 10% through the agreement.
“I am very pleased that this new offering is included in the agreement with Eneco, a major energy provider committed to sustainability. This is among the first agreements that we make on the Attributes SAS platform and an example of how key European energy players regard Norwegian gas as a contribution to energy security and attractive also from a sustainability point of view,” said Helle Østergaard Kristiansen, Equinor’s Senior Vice President for Gas & Power.
“We are happy with this new deal with Equinor, a longtime supplier and partner. It marks another step to our One Planet goal of climate neutrality. En route to that goal, natural gas remains a necessary component in the energy mix for some time, so we are glad that with this agreement we are sourcing gas with the lowest emissions available,” added Kees Jan Rameau, Chief Executive Officer of Eneco.
Rotterdam-based Eneco supplies electricity, natural gas and heat to more than 2 million households and businesses across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.