Lysekil, Sweden – The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior and Greenpeace Nordic activists are peacefully blocking the entrance of the Brofjorden port in Sweden and blocking the oil tanker Grena Knutsen, which was destined for Preem’s oil refinery Preemraff since yesterday at 19.30. Preem is a Swedish oil company that has applied to expand their oil refinery in Lysekil. 

If the Swedish government grants Preem the permission to expand, this expansion would increase the CO2 emissions from Preemraff by one million tonnes per year, making the refinery the single biggest source of CO2 in Sweden.

Isadora Wronski, Programme Manager of Greenpeace Sweden says:

“Preem’s operations are a threat to people’s health, the environment and our future. The science is clear, we need to phase out all fossil fuel production. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven must choose the Paris agreement over the oil industry’s short term profits and deny the expansion of Preemraff in Lysekil.”

After its attempt to reach the Preem’s crude oil harbour, the crude oil tanker Grena Knutsen turned around and went to anchorage just outside Brofjorden.

In addition, all other tanker traffic to and from Preem’s refinery is now stopped by the peaceful protest, and ships can’t leave or enter the crude oil harbour while Rainbow Warrior is at anchor, including the two tankers Tarnbris and Tern Ocean that are now in the product harbour of the refinery. 

Greenpeace demands that Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and the Swedish government choose the Paris Agreement over Preem and stop the planned expansion of the refinery in Lysekil. 

ENDS

Notes:

Photo and video from the activity are found here.

Campaign briefing can be found here.

(1) Background on the Preemraff court case and appeals
(2) Read more about Preem’s expansion and the Swedish climate law here

This action is a part of the wider movement Stoppa Preemraff’s “weeks of action” against Preem’s expansions, including the Flotilla Rainbow Warrior which participated on 5 September. 

Contacts:

Ludvig Tillman, Communication Officer, [email protected], +46 (0)70 271 64 37

Aud Hegli Nordø, Acting Head of Communications Nordic, [email protected], +47 41470649

Greenpeace International Press Desk, [email protected], +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)

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