The reason the decision [Gronigen field closure] was taken was because of seismic shocks triggered by the gas extraction in the area. Some 1200 earthquakes have been recorded so far, with around 27,000 homes being severely damaged and deemed unsafe to live in.

"The field could be re-opened in case of an emergency situation. So when people living in Germany, Estonia or other countries are really experiencing a shortage of gas, this is an emergency situation. And then the decision will be reconsidered whether to re-open the gasfield from Groningen to produce more."

An alternative to gas-extraction at home is the importation of [expensive] gas from abroad. The Netherlands has now put into operation a supplementary LNG terminal. Other countries - such as Germany and France, are also setting up new infrastructure to import liquified natural gas.