Salt extraction in Groningen can continue until 2045

Salt extraction may continue at Borgercompagnie and Tripscompagnie in the province of Groningen until 2045, the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State ruled on 11 November 2026. The plan for extracting magnesium salt, which the state secretary approved, stays in place. The extraction is carried out by Nedmag.

Why it matters

1. Nedmag may extract from the existing well at Tripscompagnie for another 6.5 years.
2. Four new wells near Veendam may be used until 2045.
3. Nearly all objections from residents, the province and municipalities were dismissed.

The objectors included the foundation Stichting Stop Zoutwinning, a residents' group from Borgercompagnie, the province of Groningen and the municipalities of Midden-Groningen, Aa en Hunze and Tynaarlo. They raised concerns about land subsidence, water management and soil pollution. The foundation and the residents' group also wanted extraction from the existing well stopped on safety grounds.

In 2022 the district court in The Hague struck down the extraction plan because the minister had not sufficiently explained parts of it, including why extraction could be done safely. The Council of State says the minister has largely repaired those shortcomings.

The court found that the ground does subside, but that the consequences are manageable. Damage to buildings is unlikely because subsidence is gradual, it said. The water authority (waterschap) says measures can compensate for the effects on water management.

Brine leakage remains a risk once caverns are closed, the court said, but it saw no reason to reject the extraction. Partly because Nedmag has adapted its method, the court judged the risk of new brine and diesel leaks low enough.