Mines minister Hans Vijlbrief has blocked plans to extract gas underneath the Wadden Sea after it emerged the sea levels are rising faster than previously forecast.

Gas operator NAM had hoped to start drilling off the north coast of Friesland to compensate for the closure of the Groningen gas field, which triggered thousands of earthquakes and destabilised buildings in the northern province.

Parliament had already voted against granting NAM a licence to open a drill site in the village of Ternaard and a majority of people in Friesland opposed the plan in last year’s provincial elections.

The Council of State ordered Viljbrief to make a decision by April 1 this year, but the minister said an assessment of the risks and benefits would not be ready by then.

He told parliament he has asked the court to extend the deadline and will not be granting NAM a licence for the time being because no safe option has been identified.

Analysis received so far indicates the sea level will rise by 3.85 mm per year by 2029, faster than earlier estimates of 3.6 mm. The risk of the seabed sinking as gas is extracted is also too great, Viljlbrief said.

The Wadden Sea is a Unesco World Heritage Site because of its unique status as a habitat made up of shallow sand and mudflats. If the seabed dries out less often as a result of climate change it risks losing that status, conservationists warn.