Green parties are rejoicing that the Energy Complaints Board has revoked the permit to drill for new oil in the Hejre North Sea field. The Unity Party calls it a "historic victory for our climate".
- We now have a very concrete decision that confirms that we must know the climate consequences before the authorities grant permission to open new oil fields, says climate spokesperson Leila Stockmarr.
Alternative is also enthusiastic about the revoked permit.
- Denmark has a declared goal of phasing out oil and gas, and therefore it makes no sense for the Danish government to grant new permits for drilling, says political leader Franciska Rosenkilde.
In April 2024, the Danish Energy Agency granted permission for the oil company Ineos to begin new oil production in the still unopened Hejre oil field in the Danish North Sea.
But the permit was granted on a flawed basis, the appeals board now assesses. This is because the environmental and climate effects were not sufficiently explained.
Therefore, the Energy Complaints Board has now revoked the permit and returned it to the Danish Energy Agency, which will review the case. In the meantime, all activity on the oil field must be suspended.
Enhedslisten: Important and principled decision
This comes after Greenpeace has filed a complaint with the board. The environmental organization's work is met with enthusiasm by the political parties.
- It is a huge victory for the green grassroots movements and all of us who are fighting for a future without oil and gas that the government is dropping the Hejre field, says Franciska Rosenkilde.
The Unity Party sees great prospects in the decision.
- It is a very important and principled decision that sends a crystal clear signal that fossil expansion is a thing of the past in Denmark as well, and that we must at least know the climate consequences before we grant new permits, says Leila Stockmarr.
Specifically, the Energy Complaints Board has now revoked the Danish Energy Agency's permit and remanded the case for reconsideration. This means that Ineos must now submit new information and that the Danish Energy Agency must subsequently review the case.
When the permit was granted in April 2024, it was expected that construction work would begin in 2025. The first drops of oil would hit the surface in 2027, and the permit ran until 2045.
It was estimated that oil production from the Hejre field would account for around seven percent of the total production from Danish North Sea fields. The Hejre field is located around 300 kilometers from the Danish west coast and contains primarily oil.
/ritzau/
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