Discussions in Norwegian parliament on potential halt to electrification of major LNG plant underway Thursday
LONDON, UK, April 13, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- On Thursday, Norway’s parliament is hosting talks on a proposal to pause or abandon plans for the electrification of the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Western Europe, following increased controversy around the Nordic nation’s CO2 emissions.
State-owned energy company Equinor and its partners are hoping to switch out natural gas for electric power sourced form the national grid and thereby reduce emissions in the production chain. The plant is among the largest carbon dioxide emitters in the country.
The move, which falls under a government scheme to electrify major industrial operations in order to support compliance with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, has been met with a negative response from local residents concerned that the switch would lead to power shortages. The local groups hold that the plant would put strain on energy capacity, preventing the establishment of new industries and therefore the creation of new jobs.
There are also concerns among indigenous Sami herders that the masts used to feed electric power to the plant will be built on existing reindeer pastures. It has been claimed that the animals will be disturbed by the sight of the masts and the sound they produce, threatening traditions that date back centuries.
The electrification plan is becoming a real political issue with municipal and country council elections set to be held in the country this September. The opposition is hoping to leverage significant voter concern in the context of weak polling for the centre-left minority government.
Motions to delay or abandon the electrification project, or otherwise reduce power output through the continued use of gas at the plant along with carbon capture and storage (CSS) underground, have been filed by three opposition parties. The parliament’s Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment has recommended that all the proposals be rejected.
The government is, however, dependent on votes from the Socialist Left Party opposition, as it lacks a majority in parliament. It received a fourth proposal to evaluate the possibility of deploying CCS at the plant instead of drawing from the grid early on Thursday, which appeared to have majority support in the chamber. The partners cooperating with Equinor at the LNG plant are Wintershall Dea, TotalEnergies, Neptune Energy and the Norwegian state-owned Petoro.
German group BASF owns 72.7% of Wintershall Dea with remainder is held by Russian investors Mikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven and German Khan.
https://www.oedigital.com/news/504332-norway-parliament-to-discuss-proposals-to-stop-electrification-of-major-lng-plant
State-owned energy company Equinor and its partners are hoping to switch out natural gas for electric power sourced form the national grid and thereby reduce emissions in the production chain. The plant is among the largest carbon dioxide emitters in the country.
The move, which falls under a government scheme to electrify major industrial operations in order to support compliance with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, has been met with a negative response from local residents concerned that the switch would lead to power shortages. The local groups hold that the plant would put strain on energy capacity, preventing the establishment of new industries and therefore the creation of new jobs.
There are also concerns among indigenous Sami herders that the masts used to feed electric power to the plant will be built on existing reindeer pastures. It has been claimed that the animals will be disturbed by the sight of the masts and the sound they produce, threatening traditions that date back centuries.
The electrification plan is becoming a real political issue with municipal and country council elections set to be held in the country this September. The opposition is hoping to leverage significant voter concern in the context of weak polling for the centre-left minority government.
Motions to delay or abandon the electrification project, or otherwise reduce power output through the continued use of gas at the plant along with carbon capture and storage (CSS) underground, have been filed by three opposition parties. The parliament’s Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment has recommended that all the proposals be rejected.
The government is, however, dependent on votes from the Socialist Left Party opposition, as it lacks a majority in parliament. It received a fourth proposal to evaluate the possibility of deploying CCS at the plant instead of drawing from the grid early on Thursday, which appeared to have majority support in the chamber. The partners cooperating with Equinor at the LNG plant are Wintershall Dea, TotalEnergies, Neptune Energy and the Norwegian state-owned Petoro.
German group BASF owns 72.7% of Wintershall Dea with remainder is held by Russian investors Mikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven and German Khan.
https://www.oedigital.com/news/504332-norway-parliament-to-discuss-proposals-to-stop-electrification-of-major-lng-plant
Shamir Atif
DI PR
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