Canada says the move will come after European allies have said they “need help” to ease their dependence on Russia’s energy supply.
Canada plans to increase oil and gas exports by up to 300,000 barrels per day this year, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources said.
Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in a statement Thursday that the move aims to help Canada’s allies respond to the “energy security crisis” caused by Russia’s continued aggression.
“Our European friends and allies need Canada and others to step up,” said Wilkinson, who was in Paris to attend a meeting at the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters. I did.
“They say we need our help to get Russia’s oil and gas off in the short term while accelerating the energy transition across the continent. Canada is in a unique position to help both. . “
Russia provides most of Europe’s energy supply, but since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the end of last month, European leaders have reduced their reliance on oil and natural gas from Moscow. He said it was a plan.
The war also brought about soaring fuel prices after several countries, including the United States and Canada, banned Russia’s energy imports to pressure Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to end the attack.
Canada, home to the oil sands of northern Alberta, is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer after Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States, and oil-backed Canadian politicians have responded by expanding fossil fuel projects. I have asked for. In the Ukrainian crisis.
But the push by environmentalists who say filling the void left by Russia exacerbates the climate crisis and other experts who point out that Canada does not have the infrastructure needed to rapidly increase exports. Was rejected.
“We know that fossil fuels are destroying climate stability, and that reliance on foreign oil sources makes us vulnerable to political, economic and military blackmail. “We are,” Peter Gleick, a senior fellow at the Pacific Institute in California, told Al in early March, Jazira.
“So, if anything,” Glick added.[the Ukraine crisis is] It’s a much better opportunity to promote non-fossil fuels overall than trying to increase someone else’s reliance on fossil fuels. “
It told Canada’s National Observer online newspaper this month that “the solution to the world’s energy problems is not to increase dependence on fossil fuels,” but to reduce dependence on oil and gas. Repeated by Steven Guilbeault. Where does it come from? “
The announcement on Thursday will also be made less than a week before Ottawa announces a detailed plan on how to reduce carbon emissions. Environmental activists have urged the government to focus on replacing Russia’s energy with cleaner energy sources.
Keith Stewart, Senior Energy Strategist at Greenpeace Canada, said:
Energy Minister Wilkinson said Thursday that the Canadian government is also considering ways to replace Russian gas with Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the request of European countries.
Wilkinson said Canada is discussing with European countries whether it can build more LNG projects. Currently, Canada does not export LNG, but the SHEL.L consortium, led by oil and gas company Shell, is building a large facility on the west coast.
According to Wilkinson, as Europe withdraws from fossil fuels, all LNG projects need to be able to transport hydrogen in the future with ultra-low emissions.