EU Shale Report Generates Controversy
A report on shale gas and shale oil development prepared by German experts for the European Parliament is drawing an outcry from Polish MEPs.
The report titled Impacts of Shale Gas and Shale Oil Extraction on the Environment and on Human Health, is harsh in criticisms against the extraction of hydrocarbons from shale on environmental and sustainability concerns.
The report says that at a time "when sustainability is key to future operations," shale gas development is out of sync with “changing social and technical environment where climate change issues and the transition to a sustainable energy system are top priorities.”
The report comes as Poland, where shale gas exploration is already progressing at a fast pace, takes its turn as head of the European Presidency.
Poland sees shale gas as a way to reduce dependency on imported conventional gas, that would provide not only increased energy security, but also allow for many new players to enter the gas sector, thereby improving market transparency.
The report say the technology for shale gas development has characteristics which partly show unavoidable environmental impacts, partly have a high risk if the technology is not used adequately and partly have a possible high risk for environmental damages and hazards to human health even when applied properly.
In a surprising statement, the authors assume negligence will inevitably occur in shale exploration and development operations due to “increasing economic pressure and the need for speeding up development.”
European gas production has been in falling for several years and is expected to decline by another 30 per cent or more until 2035, requiring increasing imports of natural gas. However, the report states that for unconventional gas resources in Europe are too small to have any substantial influence on these trends.
“Investments in shale gas projects – if at all – might have a short-living impact on gas supply which could be counterproductive, as it would provide the impression of an ensured gas supply at a time when the signal to consumers should be to reduce this dependency by savings, efficiency measures and substitution.”
Boguslaw Sonik, a Polish MEP from Civic Platform, has called the survey “biased”, citing that the work “could not be reliable as it was ordered from only one member state.”
Sonik professed that for economic reasons, the Germans are specifically interested in seeing that shale gas is not extracted in Poland, and therefore the findings “should automatically arouse suspicion as being an assessment made to order.”
Germany is partnered with Russia in the development of the natural gas pipelines delivering Russian gas to Europe (Read: Russian-German Energy Partnership-Too Close for Comfort? HERE)
MEP Lena Kolarska-Bobinska, also from Civic Platform, shared Sonik’s reservations, suggesting that lobbying was rife in a bid to uphold the current energy status quo in Europe.
“Extraction of shale gas will change the whole geopolitics of Europe,” said Kolarska-Bobinska in an interview with Polskie Radio
“Shale gas is needed to wean Europe off gas supplies from Russia,” she argued, noting that lobbying is “immense” surrounding the issue.