The Danish government should reject Norwegian Noreco’s motion to extract gas from the North Sea despite ongoing political push towards reducing fossil energy sourcing in favor of the green transition.

Opposition parties the Red-Green Alliance and the Alternatives express disappointment with the government for dawdling on its mitigation obligation and rails against the argument that a new gas field would strengthen supply security.

”It is very depressive that the government is going to allow further gas drillings. We know full well that if we are to reach the global climate targets, we need to put a halt to gas extraction and drillings,” says spokesperson Mai Villadsen from the Red-Green Alliance

Noreco’s application is the first of its kind since the North Sea agreement from 2020 put an end date to oil and gas extraction by 2050.

Great potential

The agreement kept the door open for issuing new licenses to ensure long-term conditions for the industry towards the end date.

The field in question holds a potential of five billion cubic meters of gas, equivalent to roughly 2.5 times the annual gas consumption of Denmark.

The production could commence within 4-6 years and stretch 15 years onwards.

Danish political party The Alternative maintains that it is in violation of the intention of the North Sea agreement. Thus, the party demands consultation with the minister.

”It is very concerning that the minister has left the door ajar to allow for continued gas extraction in the North Sea.”

”One of the most important instruments in the green reform of our society is that we make ourselves independent of fossil fuels. Now, the government is taking a step in the opposite direction,” Franciska Rosenkilde, political leader of The Alternative, writes in a commentary.

Awaits minister response

Along with Costa Rica, Denmark is the instigator of Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, whose purpose is to set an end date for the oil and gas production of the membership nations. Opening a new gas field does not correspond with such measures.

Since Tuesday, Ritzau has tried to get an interview with climate minister Lars Aagaard, but the ministry has still not replied.

It remains unclear whether the application will lead to extraction of gas and how long a tender might take.

The minister stresses that a new gas field will strengthen the supply security in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Furthermore, Noreco argues that Danish-produced gas is more climate-friendly than gas imported via a US freighter. The Red-Green Alliance is not sure about this argument.

”There have been much debate as to whether that is actually true. Some argue that Danish drilling platforms aren’t that green. But transportation of fossil fuels is, of course, always a challenge,” says Villadsen.

Natural gas imports to Europe from Russia were more than halved from 2021 to 2022. That led to a large increase in liquefied gas, of which a smaller part stems from Qatar – something that Denmark prefers not to be the case.