Norwegian energy company Equinor has revealed that the UK’s largest undeveloped oil field will release 249 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, but insists this is “not significant” in the context of global climate commitments.
In a new impact report the company set out the full scale of its environmental impact of the Rosebank field, 80 miles northwest of Shetland, should it gain approval from the UK government.
Greenpeace, the environmental group, said the total output of CO2 gases over the 25-year lifetime of the field was “greater than the annual emissions of Ireland, Belgium and Greece combined” and “a brazen admission from Equinor of the vast climate damage that would be caused from burning Rosebank’s oil and gas”.
Equinor gained government approval for Rosebank in 2023 but in January this year its was quashed by the Court of Session in Edinburgh in January because the original consent failed to consider the key emissions that would be generated when the oil and gas is burnt.
However, the judge allowed Equinor to carry on developing Rosebank while it sought to regain permission. The field is estimated to contain about 300 million barrels of oil.
A public consultation has now been opened, and will run until 20 November. The Energy Secretary will then decide whether to support granting consent for the project.
A spokesman for Equinor said: “Rosebank is an important contributor to the UK’s energy security. It is a vital project for the UK economy and is already bringing significant benefits in terms of local investment and job creation.”
Paul Morozzo, senior climate campaigner at Greenpeace, said: “The extent and culpability of the climate threat posed by Rosebank couldn’t be clearer.
“Upon reviewing the real meaning of the numbers in this environmental assessment, surely the government will be left with no option but to put a stop to Rosebank, and focus on creating new North Sea jobs in the renewables industry, once and for all.”
Tessa Khan, executive director of the campaign group Uplift, said: “Rosebank is the defining test of this government’s credibility on climate change.
“This enormous oil field is not consistent with the UK’s climate commitments. The world already has so much more oil than is safe to burn.”
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