Natural Gas Project in Romania Sparks Environmental Concerns
The environmental organization Greenpeace has criticized the Romanian government for permitting the exploitation of the Neptun Deep natural gas field in the Black Sea, citing potential environmental damage.
The project, estimated to involve the extraction of 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas over 20 years, was granted environmental consent in June. The government argues that the project is crucial for ensuring energy independence and replacing imports from Russia.
However, Greenpeace maintains that the project will harm marine life and contribute to climate change, estimating carbon dioxide emissions of over 2 billion tons. The organization also criticizes the lack of transparency regarding the potential toxicity of the wastewater that will be released into the sea.
The two companies involved in the project, OMV Petrom and Romgaz, contend that the extraction process will have a reduced carbon footprint, as the coal-based energy it replaces will be compensated by gas from the Black Sea. However, these claims are disputed by Greenpeace.
Additional concerns have been raised regarding the potential impact of the project on sea mines in the Black Sea, which have increased in number due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The environmental impact assessment for the project did not address this risk.
The next step in the process is to obtain the construction permit, which requires approval from the Ministry of Energy. The minister has expressed confidence in the project, claiming that it will make Romania the first gas producer in Europe by 2027.