Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Westerners have been looking for ways to reduce their gas imports from Russia. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is presented as a fallback solution, but this alternative also has an environmental cost.
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To limit its dependence on Russian gas, which currently accounts for 40% of European gas consumption, Europe is looking for alternatives. One of them is LNG, this natural gas transformed into a liquid state to be transported by ship from Australia, Qatar or the United States. For now, more than 70% of global LNG demand comes from Asia. With the expansion of imports into Europe, the consequences on the environment will be serious.
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From the first stages of the exploitation of liquefied natural gas, the energy footprint is larger than for conventional natural gas. “The first thing to ask is where does this gas come from and how is it produced?asks Diane Strauss, director of the French office of the European transport and environment organisation. If it comes from the United States, it’s going to be shale gas with a stronger environmental footprint. And then, you have to know that to liquefy the gas, the methane, we will use a lot of energy.”
More energy but also release of methane into the air, because handling is more numerous for this gas between the exporting country and its destination. However, as pointed out the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)Imethane released directly into the atmosphere is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 20-year period. “These methane leaks will burden the environmental balance [du GNL]insists Diane Strauss.
“The LNG will be transported by sea or by truck. And that too is part of the climate footprint of this gas.”
Diane Straussat franceinfo
This possibility of partially solving the current international energy crisis linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a short-term response, points out Inès Bouacida, climate energy researcher for the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). ): “We must not be diverted from our trajectory and from the real long-term solutions, namely the reduction of energy demand and then the deployment of green energies such as renewable energies.” For now, LNG is the main alternative for heating homes next winter.