Energy Post

Daily reports on the European and Global energy transition

A future for CCS? Set emission performance standards

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Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has come to a dead end in Europe. Although the EU is carrying out a consultation to revive the CCS programme, it is already evident that the EU Emission Trading Scheme is too uncertain to provide a clear business case for CCS. If it wants to revive CCS, the EU should follow the US example and implement emission performance standards for power plants, argues energy consultant Vincent Swinkels. Photo: … [Read more...]

Fossil fuel euphoria: oil and gas forever!

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A European country like Germany may have embarked on an energy transformation away from fossil fuels - with major German energy companies like RWE following suit - worldwide there is no such trend, notes US energy expert and author Michael T. Klare. On the contrary, countries and companies, particularly in the US, are euphoric about all the new "unconventional" oil and gas coming on the market. "What we're seeing is a sea change in elite thinking … [Read more...]

Exclusive: RWE sheds old business model, embraces transition

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RWE, Germany’s largest power producer, has decided to radically depart from its traditional business model based on large-scale thermal power production. Henceforth, the company will “create value by leading the transition to the future energy world”.  This is shown by confidential strategy documents that were discussed at a recent meeting of RWE’s Supervisory Board in Warsaw which Energy Post has seen. Photo: RWE power plant in Hamm-Uentrop … [Read more...]

Europe is not alone on climate

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Cynics claim that the EU has failed in its attempt to achieve a worldwide climate policy and is only hurting its own economy by insisting on highly ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets. But this is a far too simplistic view of how the world works, argues Liz Gallagher of E3G. According to Gallagher, Europe has achieved much more than most observers realise. Countries across the world are increasingly modelling their policies on the EU … [Read more...]

How to turn Bulgaria into Eastern Europe’s energy hub and gateway

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Bulgaria has become notorious for the failure of many big energy projects in recent years. Yet there is more going on in the Bulgarian energy sector than meets the eye, writes independent energy consultant Valentin Stoyanov. According to Stoyanov, Bulgaria could even become one of Europe’s main energy hubs. The country has strong and diverse energy assets to start with, ranging from coal and nuclear power to hydropower and renewable energies. It … [Read more...]

The North Seas Grid: how to get it built

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Investors stand ready to build a stunning amount of offshore wind capacity in the North Seas, as well as the interconnectors needed to integrate the North Seas region into a massive wind power production and trading area, new research from E3G shows. But the E3G researchers warn that most projects are still in an early phase and may not get built because of policy and regulatory barriers. They call on policymakers to develop a joint … [Read more...]

The real prospects for South Stream: it’s all about exemption

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With the end of the Nabucco pipeline project, the road seems clear for Gazprom to soon triumphantly roll out its rival South Stream project. This is certainly what recent media reports have suggested. In reality, however, South Stream is still very far from what could be described as a “launching phase”, writes Bulgarian energy consultant Valentin Stoyanov. According to Stoyanov the success of South Stream now depends on the EU. If Brussels does … [Read more...]

Interview Tony Hayward: “Kurdistan is a good place to be”

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For independent oil companies, getting their hands on new exploration acreage where both technical risk and political risk are low is an illusion, says Tony Hayward, former BP chief and current CEO of the independent Anglo-Turkish oil and gas producer Genel Energy, in an interview with James Stafford of Oilprice.com. Exploring for oil and gas in new frontiers is all about striking the right balance between geological potential and political risk. … [Read more...]

Deepening democracy: scientists must guide, not usurp, climate policy

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Scientists and other experts must become more attuned to the different roles that they play in broader society, especially what it means to be facilitators of democracy rather than advocates for more authoritarian political systems. In practice this means recognizing that the main function of expert advisory bodies is not to tell the public what should be done, but rather what could be done. Experts, such as the Global Challenges Foundation … [Read more...]

Darwin, Dylan and the future of utilities

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Australian journalist Giles Parkinson has published a must-read series of articles on his website Reneweconomy about how renewable energy is upsetting the business model of incumbent network operators and generators in Queensland, Australia. His insights provide crucial lessons for utilities elsewhere, most certainly in Europe.  As a recent report from Citi notes: “If we look at the situation facing European utilities, the future looks … [Read more...]

Biofuels: regulatory uncertainty threatens to derail a fledgling European industry

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The European Parliament and EU member states are completely deadlocked over new biofuels legislation. Although the Parliament may decide this week to start negotiations with member states, the two camps are so far apart that a deal seems almost inconceivable before 2015. The regulatory uncertainty is threatening to paralyse the European biofuels sector – and even to kill off progress in “advanced” (climate-friendly) biofuels. Sonja van Renssen … [Read more...]

The Dutch Energiewende

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With the National Energy Accord, signed on 6 September, the Netherlands has its own version of the Energiewende. Or has it? Energy Post editor Karel Beckman explains the ins and outs of the Accord and discusses its implications for the future of Dutch energy policy. His verdict: despite the hype that has surrounded the Accord, it does not come anywhere near an “energy transition” in the German style. … [Read more...]

Interview Tyler Cowen: “The shale boom? It’s just getting started”

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The shale boom in the US is only just beginning to affect the global economy, says famous US economist and New York Times best-selling author Tyler Cowen in an interview with James Stafford of Oilprice.com. The only question, says Cowen, is who will be the next to latch on to this revolution. Photo: shale oil production in Estonia, by WaronError1 … [Read more...]

European-Russian gas partnership threatens to unravel

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As the areas of potential conflict are multiplying, the EU and Russia seem to be blundering into an increasingly fractious energy relationship that threatens to hurt both sides. Russia’s policies are even risking the whole future of gas in the European energy market, argues Frank Umbach,  Associate Director at the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS), King's College, London. Umbach, who also works for the Centre for European … [Read more...]

Christoph Frei, World Energy Council: “Resilience will rise to top of agenda”

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The chances that we will be able to meet our climate targets are becoming increasingly slim, notes Christoph Frei, Secretary-General of the World Energy Council (WEC) in an interview with Energy Post. The main reason for this is that CCS (carbon capture and storage), a crucial element in any emission reduction strategy, “is not happening”. This means, says Frei, that “if no radical policy shift takes place, concerns will shift from mitigation to … [Read more...]