German trader Uniper is partnering with emissions certification specialist MiQ and US natural gas producer EQT Corp on a pilot transaction aimed at highlighting the importance of transparency in emissions reporting for US LNG exports.
In an announcement at the huge Gastech meeting in Houston, MiQ said the proof-of-concept transaction involves EQT agreeing to supply 4 bcf of independently certified natural gas — a volume comparable to about one LNG cargo — to Europe-based Uniper.
The pilot is designed to demonstrate the potential for full-supply chain emissions reporting using the MiQ Supply Chain Protocol.
This integrates data from MiQ’s certification of EQT’s production facilities with the best available data for other supply chain segments, providing a transparent emissions map across multiple segments of the LNG supply chain.
MiQ’s findings estimate that the transaction for EQT-produced gas reduces at least 68,904 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared with the current US national industry average.
These reduction calculations are validated by the Methane Scout calculator, a tool developed by MiQ to analyse public data from various emissions sources throughout the LNG supply chain.
MiQ, which independently certifies 20% of natural gas produced in the US, said this is the first time a US LNG exporter has used its supply chain protocol to model a more detailed view of emissions performance.
The pilot transaction concept comes at a pivotal moment for the global LNG industry, underscored by growing demand for clear supply chain emissions transparency amid mounting market and regulatory pressures to reduce methane leakage, MiQ said.
It detailed that in 2023, the European Union imported over 120bn cbm of LNG, with the US as the largest supplier contributing nearly 50% of these imports — a near-tripling of LNG imports from the US compared with 2021.
MiQ chief executive Georges Tijbosch said: “With the EU’s new methane regulations, which took effect in August 2024, compliance for EU importers will become crucial.”
EQT Corp president and chief executive Toby Rice said: “European buyers want credible data on LNG cargoes with transparent low emissions, and this pilot transaction with Uniper is a proof-of-concept of how this can be operationalised.”
Uniper chief commercial officer Carsten Poppinga said: “Uniper is a major gas importer in Europe, so we understand the importance of gas as a transition fuel on the road to net zero.
“We also understand the need to make gas as sustainable as possible while we progress along that road.”
