The Bucharest Court of Appeal rejected on January 29 the request filed by Greenpeace on the environmental permit for the Neptun Deep offshore gas project developed by state-owned Romgaz (BVB: SNG) and OMV Petrom (BVB: SNP). 

The NGO is also obliged to pay Romgaz Black Sea Limited, OMV Petrom, and the body that issued the permit RON 150,000 (EUR 30,000) each as legal costs, representing reduced attorney's fees.

The decision is not final and can be appealed, according to Hotnews.ro. 

Greenpeace claims that the Constanta Environmental Protection Agency (APM Constanta) issued the environmental notice in violation of legal provisions, namely "without conducting crucial studies to properly assess the risks involved." According to them, the Neptun Deep project poses several notable risks, from threatening vulnerable species in the Black Sea to intensifying the effects of climate change.

Tens of thousands of people worldwide could die prematurely before the end of the century due to extreme temperatures caused by the total greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel company OMV Petrom's Neptun Deep project, Greenpeace claims, quoting an expert analysis prepared for Greenpeace Romania by Wim Thiery, Associate Professor at the Department of Water and Climate Vrije Universiteit Brussels.

The announcement regarding the court's decision was also made by the minister of energy, Sebastian Burduja, who announced a "victory for Romania's energy independence."

The Transocean Barents platform in the port of Constanța is currently undergoing final preparations before being moved to the Neptun Deep drilling site. 

Neptun Deep is located in the Romanian Black Sea and is Europe's largest proposed fossil gas drilling project. It has been promoted as a strategic project for the country that creates strong development opportunities, being set to contribute to Romania's energy security and independence, support the country's energy transition, and contribute to its economic development.

The economic impact on the Romanian economy expected from the Neptun Deep project, according to an independent study performed by Consilium Policy Advisors Group (CPAG), includes EUR 4 billion in investments, EUR 20 billion contribution to the budget including dividends but excluding VAT, and EUR 40 billion contribution to Romania's GDP according to estimates of OMV Petrom.

The infrastructure required for the development of the Neptun Deep's Domino and Pelican South commercial fields includes 10 wells, 3 subsea production systems and associated flow lines, one offshore platform, the main gas pipeline to Tuzla, and a gas measurement station. The platform generates its energy, operating at the highest standards of safety and environmental protection, according to developers.

The entire infrastructure will be operated remotely through a digital twin. This allows the optimization of processes and will contribute to improving environmental performance by making energy consumption more efficient and reducing emissions.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/OMV Petrom)