StatoilHydro in trouble for CO2 emissions

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StatoilHydro, the gas and oil giant, has found itself in trouble with the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority over excessive CO2 emissions from its Molkoya gas plant along the coast of the Barents Sea. The Authority has ordered StatoilHydro to take care of this violation or face consequences.

The oil and gas company has been dealing with major technical problems at their Molkoya plant which has created a massive increase in CO2 emissions, according to Skunews. During the last six months of production, the plant has emitted 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases amounting to more than two per cent of Norway’s total emissions.

Now the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority wants the oil and gas company to reduce the emissions and present an assessment report by early August. To help fix the problem, StatoilHydro will increase its staff at the Molkoya plant and look into innovative CO2 capture and storage.

Since the Molkoya plant opened in August 2007 it has been forced to close several times due to technical problems and upgrades. The highly excessive CO2 emissions this year are a particularly sensitive issue right now as Norway’s officials are under heavy pressure to cut the nation’s emissions. The present government wants to reduce its annual emissions by 30 per cent before 2020 to the past levels in 1990.