Bucharest, Petrom City – 20 Greenpeace activists from Romania, Bulgaria and Czech Republic gathered this morning at OMV Petrom headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, to protest against the proposed Neptun Deep project which, if it enters into operation, would threaten the EU’s carbon neutrality target, and harm wildlife in the Black Sea. It would also become Europe’s largest offshore gas drilling project and make Romania the EU’s largest fossil gas producer. The activists painted the message \u2018No New Gas\u2019 on the OMV Petrom building. <\/p>\n\n
Photos and videos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n While activists painted \u2018No new gas\u2019 in giant yellow letters on the building, others displayed messages such as \u2018Stop Neptun Deep\u2019, \u2018Don’t destroy the Black Sea\u2019, \u2018No future for gas\u2019 or \u2018Stop fossil gas\u2019. Neptun Deep, the first deepwater drilling project proposed in the Romanian Black Sea, is one of many gas infrastructure projects currently under development in Europe, where fossil fuel companies are using the excuse of \u201csecuring Europe\u2019s energy supply\u201d to push their gas agenda.[1] The Neptun Deep gas transmission pipeline could even be granted public funding from the EU.[2] Meanwhile, several analyses show that the EU does not need expanded gas supply to meet its declining energy demand.[3]<\/p>\n\n \u201cNew fossil gas projects are incompatible with limiting global heating to 1.5\u00b0C. The last thing the world needs is new fossil gas drilling operations – not in Romania and not anywhere else. Fossil gas is a destructive fossil fuel just like oil and coal. To secure a safe and healthy future for all, all new fossil gas projects in the EU need to be stopped now. Instead of drilling for and burning even more fossil gas, we need to speed up the transition to renewable energies and improve energy efficiency,\u201d said Lisa G\u00f6ldner, European Energy campaigner, Greenpeace Germany<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n \u201cOMV Petrom can\u2019t be trusted. The company refuses to disclose the massive amounts of chemicals that will be dumped into the Black Sea to extract this gas, while daring to tell anyone who will listen that this project has a negative carbon footprint. The reality is OMV is planning to extract methane – a greenhouse gas over 80 times more powerful than CO2<\/sub> in a 20 year time frame – while harming fish, marine mammals, and terrestrial species and their habitats. Bad for nature, bad for climate, bad for people,\u201d added Alin Tanase, Campaigns Coordinator at Greenpeace Romania<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n According to an estimate commissioned by Greenpeace Romania<\/a>, the project could produce more than 200 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over 20 years, making this project a threat to the EU’s carbon neutrality target. In Austria last month, 76 scientists<\/a> joined Greenpeace to call on OMV to stop the Neptun Deep project over climate and pressure on precious marine ecosystems<\/a> concerns. A protest against the development of Neptun Deep and other new gas infrastructure across Europe is also taking place in Vienna today. Gas lobbyists from major European fossil fuel companies were due to meet there this week at the European Gas Conference, but the event was postponed indefinitely for fear of protests.[4]<\/p>\n\n ENDS<\/p>\n\n Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Photos and videos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library<\/a><\/p>\n\n [1] The \u201cenergy security of the EU\u201d excuse is a fallacious argument massively used by fossil fuel companies to impose harmful projects that will lock Europe into gas dependency. The Global Energy Monitor map<\/a> gives a good overview of the gas projects currently planned in Europe, including LNG terminals, pipelines and extraction sites. Greenpeace is also closely following TotalEnergies\u2019 moves to impose US shale gas<\/a> through the installation of an LNG terminal in France. Total is the first exporter \/ seller of US gas in Europe and in the world.<\/p>\n\n [2] While the EU no longer directly funds fossil fuel extraction, it could financially support the proposed Tuzlar-Podisor pipeline that would transport the gas from the new Neptun Deep gas field to the shore<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n [3] New Analysis: EU does not need expanded oil and gas supply to meet declining energy demand<\/a> (Oil Change International)<\/p>\n\n How Europe can cut natural gas imports from Russia significantly within a year<\/a> (International Energy Agency)<\/p>\n\n [4] European Gas Conference in Vienna Postponed due to Protests<\/a> (Vindobona.org)<\/p>\n\n Contacts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Mihnea Matache, PR Specialist, Greenpeace Romania: +40749135749, mihnea.matache@greenpeace.org <\/a><\/p>\n\n Manon Laudy, media coordinator for the European Energy campaign, Greenpeace Netherlands: +336 49 15 69 83, mlaudy@greenpeace.org<\/a> <\/p>\n\n Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n