Exploring, extracting, or storing minerals or geothermal heat

Do you want to explore, extract, or store minerals such as oil and gas, or geothermal energy? Strict rules apply for these activities. You need licences from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Ministerie van Economische Zaken, EZ). You also need an environment and planning permit for mining activities that may harm the environment. And you have to draw up a production plan or storage plan.

Rules for mining companies

A mining company is a company that extracts minerals or geothermal gas. The Mining Act (Mijnbouwwet) and the regulations based on it state:

• the rules you must comply with
• the procedures that apply
• the conditions under which licences are granted

The Environmental Activities Decree (Besluit activiteiten leefomgeving, Bal, in Dutch) lists the mining activities that can harm the environment (in Dutch) and the rules that apply. It also states in which cases you have to apply for a licence.

The Decree on construction works in the living environment (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, Bbl) also lists rules for mining, for example about mandatory energy-saving measures (in Dutch).

The Dutch State Supervision of Mines (Staatstoezicht op de Mijnen, SodM, in Dutch) oversees mineral and energy extraction in the Netherlands.

Various mining licences

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) issues licences for various mining activities. For example, an exploration permit to search for minerals, or an extraction permit for the actual mining process. You can find more information about applying for these licences and the application forms on the NL Oil and Gas Portal.

Check if you need an environment and planning permit and apply

In addition to the licences you need for mining activities from EZ, you must check whether you also need an environment and planning permit (omgevingsvergunning), or have to make a notification. Go to the Environment and Planning Portal Omgevingsloket (in Dutch) and do the permit check. The Omgevingsloket shows which rules apply in your municipality, province, or waterboard region. And you can apply directly for a permit or submit a notification.

MER: Environmental Impact Assessment

In an Environmental Impact Assessment (milieueffectrapport, MER) you describe the impact your plan or project has or will have on the environment. And you describe the impact on the environment if you change your plan or way of working. Do you want to know whether or not you have MER obligations under the Environmental and Planning Act? Then do the mer-scan (in Dutch) to check this.

Production plan and storage plan

If you want to extract geothermal energy or minerals, you have to draw up a production plan (winningsplan, in Dutch). In this plan, you describe for example how many minerals you are going to extract and how. To store a substance subsurface, you must draw up a storage plan (opslagplan, in Dutch). This plan contains a discription of the technical aspects of the storage, such as risk of soil subsidence. The Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth must approve your production plan or your storage plan. Read more in English about these plans.

Exemptions

If you need an exemption from certain prohibitions or regulations under the Mining Act, you can apply to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Applying for a licence or exemption digitally through the Message Box

Message Box has not yet been linked to the Omgevingsloket. This means that you cannot submit a digital application for the Mining Act licences and exemptions to the Ministry of Economic Affairs via Message Box. Message Box is a secure email system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.