US LNG would reduce net life cycle emissions by 42% to 55% if exported to Asia to replace coal-fired power plants, the study found from western states and tribal peoples

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE) – LNG produced in the Rockies Basin and exported from the North American west coast to China, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan would result in a 42% to 55% reduction in net life cycle emissions if used as a substitute for coal energy is generation, according to a new study by the Western States and Tribal Nations (WSTN) Natural Gas Initiative.

The study, entitled “Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Liquefied Natural Gas Exports from North America’s West Coast for Coal-Displaced Electricity Generation in Asia,” takes into account the total greenhouse gas emissions from gas from the Rockies by taking every point of the LNG Supply chain. It starts with production at the wellhead and ends with emissions from natural gas transport and distribution in China, India, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

The study, carried out in collaboration with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), builds on previous academic studies that examined the global greenhouse gas savings potential of LNG exports. This new study was supported by Adebola S. Kasumu, Ph.D., P.Eng., Who was lead author of a previous similar emissions study at the University of Calgary, and Kerry Kelly, Ph.D., and Lauren P. Birgenheier, Ph. D, from the University of Utah.

Other key findings from the report are:

• The 42% to 55% net life cycle reduction would remain intact even if LNG exports to the five nations doubled, while reducing the total amount of displacement of coal production and associated coal emissions.

• Country-level data to show where LNG exports, displacing coal production, would have the greatest impact and which policymakers and corporate decision-makers can make export decisions from both a diplomatic and commercial perspective. For example, on a life cycle basis, South Korea and Japan could reduce their emissions by 54.8% and 52.1%, respectively.

• China and India, the largest emitters with a significant footprint in coal production, the absolute reductions in coal emissions are lower for the same export level. However, both share the potential for significant life cycle emissions reductions – 42.0% for China and 49.8% for India.

“WSTN is pleased to announce that there is now definitive scientific evidence that exporting Rocky Mountain natural gas can significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jason Sandel, CEO of WSTN. “For me it goes without saying that LNG exports should be promoted and accelerated with broad social and political support. LNG exports are right for the US and right for the globe. This study shows that the US can literally export tangible emissions reductions that benefit the global environment by exporting responsibly produced LNG. ”

“If we can facilitate the worldwide export of our gas through LNG plants on the west coast, we will be able to promote economic development in our tribal and rural communities, promote tribal self-determination and improve the environment by we end the flaring and production of natural gas to make cleaner fuels available to Asian energy markets, ”said Luke Duncan, chairman of the Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee.

“SITLA is encouraged by the emissions reduction results quantified in the study and hopes they will help guide national and state policies to use Rockies natural gas to achieve lower global greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining economic activity and additional revenue for Utah to stimulate public schools. “Said SITLA Director Dave Ure.

“This study provides the building blocks needed to develop a pathway that will make Rockies gas the global environmental, social and governance (ESG) gold standard for LNG,” said WSTN President Andrew Browning. “Our goal was to create a rigorous engineering foundation on which policymakers and corporate decision-makers can make forward-looking geopolitical and commercial decisions that will help point the way to greater American economic power and environmental leadership domestically and around the world.”

“We sponsored this report to provide concrete data on the environmental and economic value that Western US LNG exports to Asia can deliver, along with real economic activity and job creation in the rural west and tribal nations.” , Frank Hawk, Vice President, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, said. “Exporting LNG requires new domestic infrastructure that can meet our current and future needs and create real, concrete jobs now and for the next generation of workers. No country produces cleaner energy than America, and the time has come for our policies to reflect that while using our natural resources for the benefit of Americans and the global environment. ”

The study was made possible by financial contributions from the following sponsors: The Ute Indian Tribe; The United Brotherhood of Carpenters; LiUNA / Colorado workers; County Duchesne, UT; Uintah County, UT; Utah Governor’s Bureau of Energy Development; Four corners innovation; Four Corners Economic Development; and Wyoming Energy Authority.

To view a summary of the results, please click here. The full study can be found here.

About western states and tribal nations

Western States and Tribal Nations is a unique, transnational initiative led by state, county, and sovereign tribal nation governments that focus on creating rural economic development, promoting tribal self-determination, and reducing global emissions through exports Western North American natural gas is focused on international markets that require lower-emission fuel.