• Although not a significant producer of liquid fuels, the Netherlands plays an important role as a European liquid fuels transportation and processing hub. The Netherlands is among the largest importers and exporters of crude oil and petroleum products in the world. A number of large producers transport crude oil to Dutch ports, most notably Rotterdam, a considerable proportion of which is then re-exported either as crude or as refined product.
• The Netherlands is a major refining and storage center, both in Netherlands but also in its constituent territories in the former Netherland Antilles. There is more than 45 million barrels of storage capacity and more than 335,000 barrel per day (bbl/d) of refining capacity in the constituent territories. Rotterdam harbor is the third-largest marine bunker harbor, after Singapore and Shanghai. Additionally, oil storage is extensive at the Vlissingen and Amsterdam ports. In total, there is approximately 190 million barrels of storage capacity in Netherlands, with the majority of it (about 80 million barrels) located in Rotterdam.
• The Netherlands is the second-largest producer and exporter of natural gas in Europe, second only to Norway. It produced approximately 2.9 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in 2011. Most of its natural gas fields are located offshore in the North Sea, although a number of them are located onshore, including Groningen, one of the ten largest natural gas fields in the world. Natural gas produced in the Netherlands is shipped via an extensive domestic and export pipeline system, which connects the country with United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium. In addition to pipeline natural gas, the Netherlands now serves as a transport hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Gas Access to Europe (GATE) LNG terminal became operational in September 2011, with imported volumes purchased by Austrian, Danish, and German distribution and utility companies.
• Petroleum accounts for about 50 percent of Dutch energy consumption. The Netherlands consumed approximately 1.0 million bbl/d of oil in 2011, but domestically produced only about 60,000 bbl/d. The remainder was imported primarily from Russia, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Norway. Natural gas accounts for approximately 37 percent of total energy consumption, most of which is consumed by the electric power, residential, and commercial sectors. Coal, which the Netherlands mostly imports from Colombia and South Africa, is mainly used for electric power generation.
• The Netherlands generated approximately 107 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) of electricity in 2011, mostly from conventional thermal power plants. More than 13 percent of the Netherlands' electricity is generated from renewable sources, mainly biomass and waste (8 percent of the total) and wind (almost 5 percent of the total). The Dutch power system is connected to Norway and the United Kingdom via high voltage lines that run along the North Sea bed.

Analysis Last Updated: March 2013