Future map of energy from Russia-Can America be a savior-May 17, 18:00

"LNG = I would like to request an increase in production of liquefied natural gas."

On May 4, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagita requested cooperation from Minister of Energy Granholm in the procurement of LNG in Washington, the capital of the United States.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shaken global energy security.

While the G7 = seven major countries have declared that energy will no longer be dependent on Russia, they are facing major challenges in how to replace them in the medium to long term.

Can the United States, the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas, be the "savior" to solve this problem?

(Washington Bureau Reporter Yosuke Yoshitake)

Increasing momentum for increased production

Cameron, Louisiana, Southern United States.

A huge fenced facility appeared in a two-hour drive along the bay from Houston, Texas, the city of energy.

The LNG production company "Venture Global LNG" is a base for liquefying and exporting natural gas.

I got the opportunity to cover the inside.

After passing through the gate, the first guide was the LNG storage tank, which the person in charge was proud to say was "the largest in the United States."

It is a concrete column and is equivalent to a 10-story building.

From the top of the tank, you can overlook the vast site equivalent to more than 80 Tokyo Domes, and you can see 18 liquefaction facilities.

I was overwhelmed by the size of the scale.

In the United States, these bases were created one after another in the wake of the "Shale Revolution" in the 2000s.

Just that day, an LNG carrier was laid next to the pier on the site.

He had just returned to the port in the morning, but he said he would immediately load LNG and leave for Poland the next day.

The state of full rotation continued.

Support Europe

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU-European Union announced in March its determination to break away from Russia's dependence on energy.

This is the energy dependence of G7 countries on Russia.

The dependence of natural gas on European countries is 43% in Germany, 31% in Italy and 27% in France, but President Von der Leyen says he aims to break away with a concrete goal of 2027.

It will be a major shift in Europe's energy policy.

So how do you change?

America is a big request.

Exports of LNG from the United States to Europe had quadrupled year-on-year in January, when tensions in Ukraine were rising.

The top LNG producers interviewed also showed confidence in the demand for gas produced in the United States.

Venture Global LNG CEO Michael Sabel

"The annual production capacity is still 10 million tons, but we are working on expanding it to 70 million tons.

The geopolitical situation has changed and we can supply oil and natural gas. America is becoming more and more important. "

Japan without resources

Japan, which depends on Russia for 9% of its natural gas, is also trying to rely on the United States.

Japan without resources, such as the fact that Japan has not announced withdrawal from oil and natural gas projects in the Russian Far East, has been described by the leading newspaper Wall Street Journal as "against the movement of the West" in the United States. There are many arguments that do not care about the energy situation.

Japan also announced that Russia's crude oil would be embargoed in principle as part of the G7.

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda, who visited the United States in May, requested that Secretary Granholm increase LNG production because expanding procurement from the United States, an ally, is a promising alternative to reducing dependence on Russia for natural gas. This is because it is expected to be.

The aforementioned "Venture Global LNG" began selling LNG to JERA (a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Company and Chubu Electric Power Company) in Japan in March.

"We are in contact with many other Japanese companies," Sabel said.

Request for decarbonization Invisible policy

Will the United States continue to support global energy demand?

Although the United States is the world's top producer of oil and natural gas, most of it is consumed domestically, so it has not had a large presence as an energy exporter.

LNG exports are also lower than in Australia and Qatar in the Middle East.

The United States has agreed to increase the supply of LNG to the EU, which aims to eliminate Russia.

By 2030, the EU will replace one-third of the 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas imported from Russia with American gas.

On the other hand, this number can be said to be the best response at the moment.

A full-scale replacement of Europe and Japan's dependence on Russia would require the development of new gas fields and the expansion of export bases.

Ironically, however, the Western-led policies for decarbonization make its whereabouts unclear.

In response to the situation in Ukraine, President Biden has made statements that could be called a policy shift to encourage increased production of oil and natural gas, but the energy industry remains distrustful of the administration that has made defossil fuel a flagship policy. ..

I don't know how long Europe, which is active in decarbonization, will buy fossil fuels.

Even if it is said that production should be increased suddenly, it is difficult to make a new investment if the future energy policy is not visible.

Growing voices of both theories

At the end of March, Republican Governor Abbott, speaking at a forum held by the Texas oil industry group, placed an order with the government:

Governor Abbott

of Texas "The turmoil in Europe has proved that Texas's energy industry is nothing more important than it is now.

What Washington has to do is unleash the oil and gas industry."

If he wants to increase production, he argues that a number of regulations, such as a ban on development on state-owned land, should be reviewed immediately.

The people who gathered at the venue responded with a big applause.

Meanwhile, in front of the White House, there was a demonstration of a group of young people urging that defossil fuels should be thoroughly promoted.

The students who participated were indignant, saying, "The president's increase in fossil fuel production is a terrible idea. We should use renewable energy to strengthen security."

Is it possible to achieve both energy security and decarbonization?

Leaders in the United States and other countries are forced to respond to ever-increasing challenges.

A mirror of a confused world

In late April, the G20 = Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings of 20 major countries were held in Washington.

Indonesia, the presidency, has allowed Russia to participate online, but US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has made an unusual move to leave Russia's remarks to show its willingness to protest.

It highlighted the differences in each country's stance toward Russia and the difficulty of uniting the world.

In addition, the G7's unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia raise concerns about conflicts between nations and economic blockage.

Russia has begun to cut the card to stop exporting natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria.

China and India will continue to buy Russian energy.

Behind the fact that Europe and Japan have been aware of the risks and imported Russia's energy, there was also the idea that having economic ties promotes dialogue and good relations, and leads to the stabilization of the international order.

But now, that idea is also shaking.

The offense and defense and speculation of each country over energy is a mirror of the confused international order itself.

Washington Bureau Reporter

Yosuke Yoshitake

Joined NHK Nagoya Broadcasting Station in 2004.

After working at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, he is currently affiliated.