Berlin – The liquefied gas industry has always been an intrinsically dangerous business, and that’s not changing. A new study commissioned by Greenpeace Germany delves into the history of liquefied gas (LNG) accidents, highlighting lack of transparency, underestimated risks to human safety, and failing safety protocols. The study comes out as governments in Europe invest heavily in new liquefied gas import facilities to buy more liquefied gas especially from the US, and as Greenpeace and other groups protest against an LNG industry meeting taking place in Berlin. Greenpeace is calling for a ban on all new fossil fuel projects in Europe and a phase-out of fossil gas.

Fossil-Free Future campaigner from Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe, Eszter Matyas:

“The LNG industry has been flying under the radar for too long now. Its business is threatening our safety through greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, but also explosions and fires that directly threaten the health and lives of workers and nearby communities. We can and must move to safer energy sources, and stop wasting taxpayers’ money on outdated, destructive fossil fuel infrastructure. It’s time we phase out fossil gas for good, let’s start by banning all new fossil fuel projects in the EU now.”[1]

Underestimated risks, despite catastrophic potential

The conclusion of this new study “Explosive Truths: the perils and the catastrophic potential of LNG” is clear: despite the potential for catastrophic disasters, the industry underestimates the risks.[2] Incomplete reporting or attempts at cover-ups raise concerns about the true extent of LNG accidents. For example, the actual impact of vapour cloud explosions at LNG facilities could be 15 to 20 times greater than current industry projections. And LNG facilities are often located in coastal areas, where few ports have adequately implemented risk-based safety zones around LNG storage and bunkering areas, leading to potential safety gaps in densely populated regions, and often disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable groups.

The main causes of these accidents can be material failure, human error and weather conditions. Current trends in cost-cutting strategies and extreme weather events, which are expected to increase in intensity and frequency due to fossil fuels such as liquefied gas, can only be a cause for concern.

Unnecessary risks, denounced today at the World LNG Summit & Awards in Germany

The study is released as the ‘World LNG Summit & Awards’ opens in Berlin, Germany, and raises a major question: are these risks really worth it despite the availability of renewable energy sources, offering far greater safety for workers and surrounding communities, as well as being cheaper, climate-friendly and providing greater energy security and sovereignty?

“Catastrophic accidents, massive climate impact, environmental pollution leading to diseases, and high energy bills: if the industry really deserved an award, it would be for endangering our present and future on this planet,” Eszter Matyas added.[3]

Early this morning in Berlin, Greenpeace activists from Germany projected the message “Clean gas is a dirty lie” onto the facade of the hotel hosting the LNG meeting.[4][5] 

EU must end dependence on destructive fossil gas

New liquefied gas import infrastructure has been booming across Europe since 2022 in a bid to replace Russian gas imports, and the trend could last: just a few weeks ago, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reportedly proposed to increase imports of US  liquefied gas to the EU in a call with president-elect Trump. 

Greenpeace is calling on the EU and national governments to turn off the tap, by banning all new fossil fuel infrastructure projects in the EU, phasing out fossil gas and investing in reducing gas demand, expanding renewables and cutting energy waste.

ENDS

Notes:

[1] EU climate fund bankrolling dirty energy expansion (Bankwatch).

[2] Due to the flammable and explosive nature of liquefied gas, LNG facilities pose multiple safety risks. Leaks at any stage of the supply chain can result in -inextinguishable- pool fires, jet fires or vapour cloud explosions that can be catastrophic when accidents occur close to densely populated areas.

For the study “Explosive Truths: the perils and the catastrophic potential of LNG”, Equal Routes researchers compiled and analysed 104 LNG-related accidents. The full list of key findings is available on page 5.

[3] Permit To Kill: Potential Health and Economic Impacts from U.S. LNG Export Terminal Permitted Emissions (Greenpeace USA), LNG is stepping up to solve Europe gas woes, but at a price (Reuters).

[4] Photos and videos are available from the Greenpeace Media Library. 

[5] Last week, 22 Greenpeace activists from Germany protested the arrival of an LNG tanker from the United States, entering the port of Brunsbüttel, Germany.

Contacts:

Fossil-free future European campaign: Manon Laudy, press officer, [email protected], +336 49 15 69 83

Greenpeace International Press Desk: [email protected], +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours).

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