Climate killer methane: On the hunt for natural gas leaks with Theo
Théophile Humann-Guilleminot grabs his 100,000 euro suitcase, a special high-tech camera: "Today we are going on the hunt for methane emissions in Croatia. We analyse oil and natural gas plants." Thermal imaging technician Theo works for the international climate protection organisation CATF and has already undertaken 500 "methane hunts" from Romania to Spain. He always found what he was looking for!
Methane is responsible for a third of global warming. In a 20-year comparison, methane is even 80 times more harmful to the climate than CO2. Agriculture, poorly sealed landfill sites and the use of fossil fuels are the main man-made sources.
Compared to pre-industrial levels, the methane content in the atmosphere has risen by 260 per cent. Since 2000, so much methane has been added every year that the climate damage is as great as that caused by 350 million cars. If nothing changes, the Earth could become up to four degrees Celsius hotter by the end of the century.
Methane escapes particularly during the extraction, processing, transport, distribution and storage of natural gas. The climate killer is released into the air from boreholes and flaring, as well as from leaking pipelines and compressor stations.
Together with 159 partner countries, the European Union has committed to reducing methane emissions worldwide by a third between 2020 and 2030. The EU Methane Regulation, which has been in force since summer 2024, is intended to help with this:
Theo has set up his special camera in front of a processing plant in Velika Ludina, right on the edge of the village: "I'm afraid we'll discover leaks in the storage tanks, they look dilapidated."
Instead of feeding methane back into the system, some companies prefer to invest in new oil and gas fields, which brings higher profits in the short term. The problem often lies with subcontractors - or there is a lack of technical knowledge and goodwill.
Workers wearing gas masks move between the valve wheels and tanks. Théophile looks at his detector: "A leak! This is madness! That's intentional, they know they're releasing this gas." One of the tank caps has been opened, "they want to let the oil breathe", explains CATF expert Theo, the system is "ventilated", the methane is released into the ambient air. "The new methane regulation in Europe states that this practice is prohibited," emphasises Theo.
A few kilometres further on, in the middle of the small town of Dugo Selo, we discover a flame, a kind of "waste product" of oil extraction and processing. Suddenly we hear a hiss, and the flame is now several metres high. "This practice of flaring is prohibited in the EU," says Theo. "We have had the EU Methane Regulation since August 2024, and burning gas in this way is not legal."
In Paris, I meet the methane expert from the International Energy Agency, Tomás de Oliveira Bredariol. How can methane emissions be prevented from being concealed? "There is satellite data. We also need measurements on the ground," says de Oliveira. Independent supervisory authorities should be involved here.
But aren't methane emissions completely inadequately recorded? De Oliveira agrees: "If we combine all officially reported emissions, we arrive at 40 million tonnes of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. Our own IEA estimate is 80 million tonnes of methane, which is twice as much!"
And why is methane so dangerous? De Oliveira: "Methane is responsible for around 30 per cent of global warming to date. Methane emissions from fossil fuels are expected to fall by 25 % by 2030. That is a far cry from what we need, namely a reduction of 75 per cent."
EU member states and industry sectors are concerned over the inclusion of aircraft on the list of US products targeted in retaliatory measures under preparation in Brussels, according to MEP Bernd Lange (Germany/S&D), chair of the Parliament's Trade Committee.
'The big part [on the list] is the question of aircraft," said Lange, flagging that the sector would form part of the ongoing trade negotiation with the US, especially since there remains residual trade aggravation between the two sides following a protracted dispute over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus.
On 8 May the European Commission proposed a list of US products worth €95 billion that could be hit with EU counter-tariffs should Washington maintain trade barriers following a 90-day pause declared by US president Donald Trump in the trade war he launched in mid-March.
Among targeted entities is US airspace champion Boeing.
The list is now the subject of consultation with EU industry sectors, and the member states are trying to defend those of strategic importance to their economies by negotiating the withdrawal of certain US products for fear of reprisals.
Shortly after the EU countermeasures were presented, the US administration announced an investigation into the aircraft sector, which could directly threaten European champion Airbus.
France, Germany, Spain, where Airbus produces aircraft, fear US retaliation.
For 17 years, the EU and the US were locked in a bitter battle over state subsidies to their respective aerospace giants — Airbus and Boeing.
The saga began with a 1992 agreement designed to regulate government support for the two aircraft giants. But by 2004, Washington had grown dissatisfied, accusing the EU of unfairly subsidising Airbus. The US withdrew from the deal and launched a formal complaint at the WTO.
What followed was a drawn-out legal and diplomatic confrontation, which reached its peak during the first Trump administration. In 2019, the WTO authorised the US to impose tariffs on nearly $7.5 billion worth of EU goods and services annually.
A year later, in 2020, the pendulum swung in the EU's favour. The WTO granted Brussels the right to impose tariffs on US imports in response to subsidies received by Boeing.
In 2021, a breakthrough was announced: both sides agreed to suspend the tariffs, marking a temporary truce. However, the détente is only set to last until 2026.
Last week saw evidence of some movement in the negotiations over the trade dispute: the US sent a letter to the EU which replied.
Since mid-March the US has imposed 25% tariffs on EU steel, aluminium and cars and 10% on all EU imports to the US.
Brussels prepared retaliatory tariffs but suspended them following Trump's announcement of a 90-Day truce. However, if the negotiation fails, EU tariffs will be implemented and a fresh list of tariffs against US goods will be presented.
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