The import and use of oil in the Netherlands last year remained the same as in the previous year. This despite the aim to use more sustainable energy. The war in Ukraine also hardly affected our oil consumption.
For example, our fuel consumption was only 1 percent lower than a year earlier, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands. At the same time, refineries consumed nearly the same amount of crude oil. Only the petrochemical industry was 15 percent more economical. This was partly because processes were halted due to the high gas prices.
Imports also remained the same last year. The CBS figures do show that we now get our oil from elsewhere.
Russia was still an important supplier at the beginning of last year. But that supply has been under pressure since the country invaded Ukraine. Since December 5, there has even been a ban in Europe on the import of crude oil from Russia.
Until the war in Ukraine, the Netherlands imported about 2.8 billion kilos of oil from Russia every month (CBS measures oil consumption in kilos). To replace the Russian supply, our country obtained an extra 900 million kilos from Saudi Arabia in December. An additional 700 million and 500 million kilos respectively came from Iraq and Kazakhstan.
Diesel reserves twice as large as normal
There is now also a ban on the import of Russian products made from oil, such as diesel. In the run-up to this, the Netherlands has bought extra diesel, especially from Russia and India.
With more than 1.2 billion kilos, the stock is therefore twice as large as usual. This should prevent, for example, transport and agriculture from experiencing shortages.
