U.K.’s coal ban reason for Canada to ship natural gas U.K.’s coal ban is one more reason for Canada to ship natural gas to Europe
But what about European markets? The fact that Canada, the world’s fifth-largest gas producer, does not have export facilities on the East Coast is a problem. This is especially so in the context of Monday’s news that Britain has become the first G7 country to end electricity production with coal. That it is the first is a matter of pride, but Britain certainly won’t be the last to do this.
It is not a popular opinion in these environmentally conscious days, but the reality is we are going to need natural gas for many years to come. This is a cold, hard truth because the transition to wind, solar and hydrogen (amongst other alternative technologies) is going to take time. And during that period, gas, which produces lower emissions than fuels such as coal, can be a transitional substitute as countries move off the carbon combustible.
In 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz came to Canada hat in hand for gas, only for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to say that “there has never been a strong business case” for exporting to Europe. Mr. Scholz’s request was followed by similar ones from Poland and Greece, which were met with similar responses. If there truly is no business case, how come there are so many hungry buyers rapping at the door even if they’ve already seen it shut? Opinion: U.K.’s coal ban is one more reason for Canada to ship natural gas to Europe - The Globe and Mail