A new report presented to the EU Parliament on Wednesday morning says that gas production from already producing fields in the EU, Norway and Algeria will already exceed European demand in 2035. The report, called “On thin ice”, assumes that The EU’s gas needs fell by 32 per cent by 2030. – This is a fire torch into the Norwegian climate and oil debate, writes leader of WWF Norway, Karoline Andaur on X (Twitter). She continued: – The report shows that there is no need for new exploration on the Norwegian continental shelf if the EU succeeds in reaching its own climate targets. There must be consequences for Norwegian oil and gas policy. WWF Norway is one of the parties behind the report, in company with Greenpeace Norway, Transport & Environment, Oilchange International and Zero Carbon Analytics. The conclusion is clear: Norway risks being left with “black pepper” – i.e. gas for which there are no customers – without a change in course. Norway’s emission sources 1990–2022 Select year 199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152 016201720182019202020212022Million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents? Press for explanation of CO₂ equivalents Extraction of oil and gas12 Go to news’s Climate Status The government handed out 62 new extraction permits Today, Norwegian fields supply gas to Europe through an extensive gas transport system, and are the largest exporter of gas to the EU. Earlier this year, the government handed out 62 new extraction licenses on the shelf to 24 companies. – This year we are offering more than twice as many extraction permits in the Barents Sea as in last year’s round. Demonstrating more gas resources is important for profitability by increasing gas export capacity, stated Energy Minister Terje Aasland at the announcement. He has previously stated that he has “a clear expectation that central companies will turn over all stones to find more gas in the Barents Sea”. The Climate Committee 2050 has, for its part, proposed a permanent monitoring stand in areas without existing infrastructure. news has been in contact with the Ministry of Energy, but has so far not received a reply. NTB Frode Pleym, Greenpeace Norway – “Dear Norway, what’s wrong with diving”, asked an EU parliamentarian today. I understand that very well. The government and the parliamentary majority must stop being fooled by the oil directors. The Norwegian economy and the world’s climate deserve better. The politicians tell us that there is a market for Norwegian oil and gas in the future. We now know that is completely wrong. The EU’s climate target means that no more exploration is needed on the Norwegian continental shelf NTB Silje Lundberg, Oil Change International – This is another link in the chain of evidence that Norwegian petroleum policy is out of step with the climate target. Norwegian authorities must open their eyes. NTB Karoline Andaur, WWF Norway – The decline in demand is coming much faster than Norway is aware of. Drilling for more oil and gas, as the government thirsts for in the vulnerable Arctic, is simply no longer necessary. Europe’s energy security is more than covered by current production if the EU is to reach its climate targets. Støre can now follow the Climate Committee’s advice on exploration moratoriums with a clear conscience vis-à-vis the EU. When our largest customer is now transitioning away from fossil energy, Norway must look at its situation and adjust its oil and gas policy in line with demand and climate targets. NTB Lars Haltbrekken, SV – This shows how unnecessary and destructive Norwegian fossil fuel production is. The EU is far ahead of us on the road to the climate goals, while we in Norway turn a blind eye to the fact that the future is fossil-free, and continue to pump up environmentally hostile energy. Instead of continuing out of step with the rest of the world, we must see gas production in the light of the climate crisis, and get a comprehensive analysis of Norwegian gas production when the climate report comes in the autumn. Demand for gas at its lowest in ten years In September, the Ukraine war and geopolitical tensions led the International Energy Agency to open up “some investments in oil and gas during a transition period”. The background is the danger of continuing high prices for fossil energy if the change is pushed forward too quickly. Vår Energi ASA: – Need for gas in the energy mix until 2050 Andreas Wulff, Vår Energi – Millions of Europeans and many companies depend on the energy we produce from the Norwegian continental shelf every single day. Over many years, we have established close and close cooperation with important markets in both the EU and Great Britain, including with long-term contracts for natural gas. Stable and secure energy supply is central to European security policy and Norwegian production of oil and gas contributes to maintaining stability, economic growth and welfare in Europe. There is also the feedback from our customers, who represent major European countries. There will be a need for both oil and gas in the European energy mix up to 2050, and thus it will also be necessary to maintain exploration activities on the Norwegian continental shelf. If we don’t search and find more, it could lead to energy shortages and social unrest in many places. On Wednesday, the Institute for energy economics and financial analysis (IEEFA) came up with new figures showing that the demand for gas in the EU is at its lowest level in ten years. According to Eurostat, Norwegian gas covers around a quarter of energy use in Europe, and before Christmas new forecasts from Offshore Norway showed a new investment peak for Norwegian oil and gas in 2024. Large investments and high exploration activity, in addition to increasing operating costs, meant that the total costs in Norwegian shelf was a record high in 2014. After 2024, it is expected that investments will fall. – Difficult to take in how important our gas is During the December conference in Kristiansund, director of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Torgeir Stordal, said that “Norway has been given a role that is more important than many people understand”. – In a country like ours, which for all practical purposes is self-sufficient in electrical energy, many find it difficult to accept how important our gas is for Britons and Europeans, he said. IEA chief Fatih Birol commented on the European “craving” for Norwegian gas when he visited Norway shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. – The goal of net zero emissions is not synonymous with zero oil and gas, he said. According to Dagens Næringsliv, he added: – Then it is better for oil and gas to come from countries with a low carbon footprint, such as Norway. Offshore Norway: – If we throttle the offer, this could contribute to a new energy crisis Torbjørn Giæver Eriksen, director of business policy and communications at Offshore Norway – Norway plays a decisive role in the energy supply to Europe, which now has to manage without Russian oil and gas. Precisely for this reason, the EU has expressed support for further exploration for oil and gas on the Norwegian continental shelf. Both the EU’s and the UK’s climate strategies show that there will still be a need for oil and gas in their energy mix. How much will be needed will depend on the assumptions and scenario one assumes. What is completely clear is that the changing security situation in the world means that Europe is completely dependent on Norway as a stable and safe supplier of energy. This comes out quite clearly in the European Commission’s communication of its long-term climate strategy. The agreement Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain have entered into with Equinor on the supply of gas until 2039 and the letter of intent on the supply of blue hydrogen from 2029 to 2060 also confirm this. If we cut off the supply of Norwegian gas before the alternative is in place, this could contribute to a new energy crisis in the EU and make the EU even more dependent on LNG from the global market. It opens up new uncertainties. Compared to LNG from the global market, Norwegian pipe gas is very competitive both in terms of cost and greenhouse gas emissions. In December, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate presented an overview of Norwegian gas resources which, for various reasons, have not been developed, but “lie fallow”. Half of the undiscovered resources are in the Barents Sea Photo: Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
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The EU does not need even more Norwegian gas – news Vestland
