Carbon Footprint of BC LNG Boom Could Rival Oilsands

Carbon Footprint of BC LNG Boom Could Rival Oilsands

Postby Oscar » Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:13 am

Carbon Footprint of BC LNG Boom Could Rival Oilsands

[ http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/01/13/BC ... -Oilsands/ ]

That is, if the province's natural gas riches are developed as planned. But there's another way.

By Alison Bailie, 13 Jan 2014, TheTyee.ca

This month, provincial MLAs are preparing for the upcoming legislative session, in which they will debate rules for carbon pollution and taxes for liquefied natural gas (LNG) development.

The connection between LNG development and carbon pollution is significant. And just how the government chooses to manage both issues will have serious long-term implications, for the province and the country.

Last year, Minister of Natural Gas Development Rich Coleman was asked on CBC's Early Edition what B.C.'s LNG plans could mean for the province's climate targets. His response: "Meeting our goals will be a challenge."

If you're wondering how big that challenge may be, there are two things you should know. The first is that carbon pollution from this industry could be extremely large, nearly as much as the oilsands in Alberta produce. The other is that B.C. can choose to make the impact much smaller.

The B.C. government is investing time and resources in promoting extensive LNG development. In order to meet its annual revenue hopes [ http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/OG/Documents/ ... evenue.pdf ] of more than $4 billion, the province will need to export four to six trillion cubic feet of shale gas per year by 2020. Producing that much gas would require five to seven LNG facilities and over 10,000 wells with the accompanying network of roads, pipelines, compressors and gas processing plants.

The Pembina Institute estimates that even the lower end of that development scenario would produce a staggering 73 million tonnes of carbon pollution per year by 2020. For comparison, the oilsands are currently Canada's fastest-growing source of climate pollution -- but by 2020, B.C.'s LNG plans would produce three-quarters as much carbon pollution if development proceeds as hoped.

For a province often cited as one of the greenest in Canada, it's a profound disconnect.

MORE:
[ http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/01/13/BC ... -Oilsands/ ]

- - - - -

BC'S CARBON POLLUTION INDEX

59 million tonnes: B.C.'s total carbon pollution in 2011 (all sectors of economy)

64 million tonnes: B.C.'s total carbon pollution in 2020 (without extensive LNG development*)

73 million tonnes: B.C.'s carbon pollution from extensive LNG development by 2020

137 million tonnes: B.C.'s total carbon pollution in 2020, with extensive LNG development

43 million tonnes per year, or less: B.C.'s carbon pollution target in 2020

13 million tonnes per year, or less: B.C.'s carbon pollution target in 2050

*Based on Environment Canada report, Canada's Emissions Trends 2013, which captured only limited development of liquefied natural gas (equivalent to two million tonnes of carbon pollution for all of Canada).

The Pembina Institute's assumptions and approach to calculating carbon pollution can be found here: [ http://www.pembina.org/ ] Numbers based on carbon dioxide equivalent.
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm

Return to LNG - Liquid Natural Gas

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

cron