Green Party must reject any moves to facilitate new LNGs in the state
Reacting to recent comments from the head of the CRU and the news that an energy security review have both raised the possible building of an LNG facility in Ireland, Bríd Smith TD today said such a policy would be “a disaster for climate action plans and a cynical misuse of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
The TD said the Green Party must make clear that the building of LNG infrastructure here is a “red line issue” for them in Government. She rejected suggestions from Aoife McEvilly of the CRU who this week told the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action that an LNG plant could be repurposed to cater for green hydrogen in the future saying: “In reality any LNG plant built here will operate for decades and will lock us in to continued fossil fuel reliance, while talk of ‘green hydrogen’ has long been a cover by vested interests in the industry to push gas infrastructure. It is astonishing that any agency of this state could hint at support for an LNG terminal in the same week as we have seen record temperatures at the north and south pole; such a policy is criminal and a slap in the face to the climate movement.”
The TD said she was alarmed at the hints from some Green Party deputies that a state built facility could be time limited, or that if LNG infrastructure is approved there will be no attempt by the Government to stop it saying: “It is breath-taking that on one hand the Greens profess their opposition to LNGs and even propose a bill to ban them, but on the other hand suggest there is nothing they can do if one is approved. What is the point of the Greens being in Government if they cannot deliver on stopping actions that will destroy any hopes of real climate action and breaking the hold of the fossil fuel industry?”
The TD rejected suggestions that LNG infrastructure was needed for energy security in light of the Russian invasion.
“Even before the current crisis this has been a constant refrain by the industry and LNG backers. In reality, this state is not dependent on Russian gas and we do not face any imminent disruption to gas supplies. The coming years need to see policies that reduce our demand for all fossil fuels and see massive state lead investment in offshore wind. Building LNGs is no answer to either energy security or climate security.”