Valerie Volcovici, Nichola Garoom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s plan to expand liquefied (LNG) shipments to Europe to cut the region’s dependence on Russian fuel risks undermining his administration’s climate goals by encouraging more gas production and increasing emissions, according to climate experts.

The White House needs to find a delicate balance between security and longer-term ambitions.

John Kerry, the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change told Reuters that what they are doing was supplanting Russian gaz. Will there be any leakage? It is possible, he stated, calling it “downside.”

Biden last month promised to increase LNG shipments to the European Union to 50 billion cubic meters per year by 2030 – more than double the amount sent there from the United States in 2021. Russia is the largest supplier of gas to the EU, accounting for 40%. However, the EU fears that Moscow may use it as political leverage.

Biden’s moves are a signal for growth in a U.S. industry that has already expanded into one of the world’s top exporters of the super-cooled fuel thanks to advanced drilling techniques and prolific natural gas fields in states like Texas and Pennsylvania.

Although gas is cleaner than coal or oil, its ability to escape from pipelines and wells remains a threat to the climate. The greenhouse gas methane has a much higher potency than carbon dioxide.

LNG exports yield more methane that domestic consumption because there is a longer supply chain, which can lead to leakage. This also results in higher carbon emissions due to liquefaction and shipping as well as regasification.

Once you travel around the globe in tanksers, it’s only a new operation. That’s just more emissions period,” said Debbie Gordon, a senior principal at the Rocky Mountain Institute’s climate program. “It’s distance and lots of different handoffs.”

She said U.S. liquefied natural gas exports to Europe could have a lower climate impact than Russian gas because Russia’s pipeline network is particularly leaky.

However, the additional methane emissions from the United States could be a problem for their climate goals.

BROAD GOALS

United States of America and European Union made a pledge last year to cut methane emission by 30% by 2030. More than 100 nations joined them in this effort. Biden’s broader climate goals include decarbonizing the U.S. economy by 2050.

We expect that the LNG export terminals in use today will continue to be operational long after these dates.

According to the White House, it is possible to address short-term issues in energy security and reduce emissions. Saloni Sharma, spokesperson at the National Security Council stated that “this does not conflict with climate goals.”

Kerry stated that the United States can also take steps to reduce methane emissions through sound regulation and industry-led efforts.

Biden’s administration will require that oil and gas companies detect and fix methane leaks from large wells or along pipelines. This regulation, which climate experts believe could be the most effective way to address the biggest sources of fugitive Methane, but not all parts of the LNG supply chain.

U.S. natural gasoline prices have reached 13-year highs due to decreased supplies and increased export demand.

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Experts agree that expanding LNG will increase emissions substantially, but it is difficult to quantify the risk because of the incomplete research.

Riley Duren is the Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Mapper which surveys methane emissions. He said that recent aerial measurements of LNG export terminals in Texas have shown no major methane release.

“Most of the fugitives of methane happen upstream of the of the export terminals,” Duren said.

Duren claimed, however, LNG facilities are significant energy users and produce substantial carbon dioxide.

Carbon Mapper overflights, he said, had also detected at least one case of methane coming out of an LNG tanker. It was the result so-called boil off.

Because of difficulties in tracking the ships, it is unclear when this occurs.

There is very little information available about emissions from regasification or local distribution within buyer-nations.

Cheniere Energy, the leading U.S. LNG exporter Cheniere Energy (NYSE :), stated it was seeking to determine its climate impact and help improve its operations.

“We’re working to get a more specific understanding of the (greenhouse gas) footprint of our LNG from wellhead to end-use,” said Eben Burnham Snyder, a spokesperson for the company.

MiQ is a foundation for lower-carbon gas that certifies it. It said they hope to issue certificates within the next few weeks after analysing supply chain emissions.