Press information

Groningen, 16 July 2026

• Key milestones achieved in hydrogen, CO₂ and heat infrastructure construction 
• Increased LNG capacity boosts energy system resilience 
• Rising supplies to power stations underline enduring role of natural gas in energy system
• Reported half-year revenue up € 211 million to € 1,049 million

The first half of 2026 demonstrated a continued need for Europe to keep building an energy system that is reliable, affordable and sustainable. Geopolitical tensions, such as those in the Middle East, further illustrated this. Over the first six months of the year, Gasunie has made important steps in future-proofing its energy infrastructure, including opening the first part of the hydrogen network in the Netherlands and ramping up LNG capacity. This and more is stated in the 2026 half-year report published today.

Gasunie CEO Willemien Terpstra: ‘These are the Make it Happen years when energy transition and energy security go hand in hand. Enabling large-scale hydrogen, CO₂, heat and biomethane transport before the market actually materialises contributes to Europe’s strategic autonomy. Expanding our liquefied natural gas receiving capacity makes our energy system more resilient in a world that has become more unpredictable.’

Gasunie Transport Services (GTS, the operator of the Dutch national gas transmission network) transported 12% more natural gas to electricity producers. Gas consumption in industry was up slightly over the first six months of the year (+1%). The volumes of gas transported to regional TSOs showed a marginal decline (-1%).

For the third year in a row, gas transport to power stations rose in the first half of the year. Today, electricity producers are increasingly using natural gas to address fluctuations in solar and wind energy production, so that the security of electricity supply is guaranteed. In the future, they will move away from natural gas and use biomethane and hydrogen instead. In the hybrid energy system of the future, electrification, gas and sustainable gases will be mutually reinforcing energy sources.

Over the past six months, Gasunie has continued to pursue its strategy of building a future energy system that is reliable, affordable and sustainable and which also ensures a resilient energy supply today. Significant progress was made in relation to the energy transition.

One key milestone was the opening of a 32-kilometre hydrogen pipeline in the port of Rotterdam in May, at an official ceremony attended by King Willem-Alexander. This network marks the beginning of what will be a nationwide and ultimately European hydrogen infrastructure. In Germany, Gasunie made progress in repurposing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport.

Storage will be a crucial part of the hydrogen value chain. The Dutch Government’s € 450 million pledge for the development of a hydrogen storage facility in the northern part of the Netherlands sends a strong signal.

In June, Dutch and German energy (infrastructure) companies signed an agreement in principle for the development of a CO₂ pipeline from Germany’s Ruhr area to underground storage facilities below the North Sea. Called the ‘Delta Rhine Corridor’, this network will feed into the offshore pipeline to be built by the Aramis project.

A Gasunie-commissioned study by PwC shows that carbon capture and storage is the most feasible and affordable way to make Dutch industry more sustainable in the coming years.

The WarmtelinQ heat network project reached a construction milestone in the city of Leiden. Heat that used to go to waste now gets a new lease of life thanks to WarmtelinQ. This is domestically produced sustainable energy that helps ease the pressure on the electricity grid.

Gasunie and its partners are also working to strengthen the existing energy infrastructure. At Gate terminal in Rotterdam, expanding the terminal’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving capacity has reached the final stages.

Additionally, a provisional decision has been made to keep EemsEnergyTerminal operational, which will increase energy security for the Netherlands and north-western Europe. Construction of the LNG terminal in northern Germany has also advanced significantly.

In the Netherlands, Gasunie Transport Services transported 335 TWh of natural gas over the first six months of 2026, down 5% on the same period last year. This drop in transport volumes came as less gas was transported across the border and to gas storage facilities. Domestic consumption of natural gas increased by 2% (153 TWh) in the Netherlands in the first half of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025 (150 TWh).

Gasunie Deutschland transported 138 TWh of natural gas, up 2% on the first half of last year, maintaining the German network’s position as an important energy supply link in North-Western Europe.

GTS advises the Dutch government on the security of gas supplies. In March, GTS published an analysis about how robust the gas network in Europe and the Netherlands is during prolonged disruptions, while also putting forward several practical proposals to bolster the system.

Gas storage facilities are being filled at a slower rate than expected this year, especially those in the Netherlands. We will continue to draw attention to this, as building up storage levels is a gradual process that cannot be completed overnight. By the end of winter (31 March), gas storage facilities were filled to 5% of their capacity. By 30 June, this had risen to 26%. In 2025, these percentages were considerably higher: 21% by the end of March and 49% by the end of June.