Joe Biden suspends construction of gas export terminal in Europe, citing climate ‘threat’

In early December, on the sidelines of COP28, more than 250 environmental organizations and groups asked Joe Biden not to authorize new liquefied natural gas terminals.

“This pause (…) considers the climate crisis for what it really is: an existential threat.” US President Joe Biden on Friday, January 26, announced a moratorium on the construction of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals. According to data published by the international organization Cedigaz for the first half of 2023, the United States is the world’s leading exporter of LNG. According to the White House, in 2023 almost half of LNG exports were sent to Europe, after Ukraine’s invasion of the continent halted Russian gas imports.

Since this increase in demand, scientists, environmentalists, but also local elected officials have been warning about the consequences for the environment of the acceleration of the LNG terminal project, both in terms of public health on American soil, but also in terms of greenhouse gases. emissions

In early December, on the sidelines of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, more than 250 environmental organizations and groups asked Joe Biden not to authorize new LNG terminals.

Shale gas is imported into Europe

“As exports increase, we must review these requests in light of the latest economic, environmental and national security analyses.”, Energy Minister Jennifer Granholm said during a conference call. So no new export permits will be issued before the US Department of Energy (DOE) updates its analysis of each project, she said, adding that projects already approved would increase the United States’ export capacity by 1.35 billion cubic meters per day. (Compared to about 328 million cubic meters per day at the end of 2023, according to the American Energy Information Agency.)

However, in the United States, 79% of production comes from shale gas, according toAdministration in charge of Energy. The process to extract this gas, hydraulic fracturing, is distinguished for environmental damage. Finally, if gas produces fossil energy that emits less CO2 than oil and coal, its extraction and transport carries the risk of methane emissions, a gas with 10 times the warming power of CO2.

In France, where shale gas extraction is banned, gas from the United States was delivered in November via a new floating LNG terminal in Le Havre, which has also been receiving gas since October. Also Norway, Algeria, Qatar, Nigeria, Angola and Egypt.

In a report published in October, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) expressed fears that Europe will eventually find itself with large LNG import capacities compared to a moderate increase in gas demand. A strong growth that in the long term is cause for concern for IEEFA “Significant gap between expected LNG demand in Europe and new regasification capacities under construction and planned.” The think tank then estimated that European demand for LNG “It will not exceed 150 billion cubic meters in 2030“, which will result in a possible deviation of “About 256 billion cubic meters of unused capacity.