Dubai: Preliminary commercial operations at Taqa’s Gas Storage Bergermeer facility in the Netherlands have started, the Abu Dhabi-owned energy investment company announced on Wednesday.

The Bergermeer facility will nearly double the Netherland’s gas storage capacity when it is completed in 2015, Taqa said, and will be the largest third part access gas storage facility in Europe.

Taqa and Dutch state-owned energy company EBN have invested €850 million (Dh4.3 billion) into the project.

Russia’s Gazprom have also been involved in the project, supplying cushion gas that is needed to pressurise the reservoir.