Gas demand has consistently been overestimated by EU bodies in recent years, write Dave Jones of Sandbag and Jonathan Gaventa and Manon Dufour of E3G. Even today, with gas demand at its lowest since 1995, the possibility of lower future demand is hardly taken into account. As a result, the EUâs energy security strategy, focused on sourcing more gas, may be misguided. In addition, infrastructure investment may be wasted. Time for a reality check. … [Read more...]
A system of unconnected vessels: the gas market(s) in the Baltic States
An internally integrated gas market independent from Russia is an official goal of the Baltic Statesâ energy policies. Above all the launch of the LNG terminal in Klaipeda, Lithuania, at the end of 2014, was intended to provide an alternative to Russian gas. However, Latvia rejects the opportunity to import gas from Lithuania, and Estonia is pursuing its own projects, including cooperation witn Finland. Â This makes the creation of a regional … [Read more...]
Image of gas suffers another blow as trilateral gas talks fail
Russia, Ukraine and the EU failed to reach an agreement to govern gas flows between Russia and Ukraine at a meeting in Vienna because of a âlack of political willâ. European Commission Vice President for Energy Union MaroĹĄ Ĺ efÄoviÄ is frustrated with the Ukrainians as much as with the Russians. âThe lack of a deal is not good for the image of Russia as a reliable supplier or Ukraine as a reliable transit countryâ, he said. He added that âGazprom … [Read more...]
Gazprom deals deepen EU gas dilemmas
Gazprom has been very active in Europe recently, signing a strategic cooperation agreement with Shell, an agreement to build a second Nord Stream pipeline with Shell, E.on and OMV, and a memorandum with the Greek government about building an extension of its Turkish Stream project. All of these initiatives fit perfectly with Gazpromâs strategy, write Szymon KardaĹ and Agata Loskot-Strachota of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Warsaw. But … [Read more...]
GE-Alstom deal tests limits of EU competition law
The planned takeover of Alstom by GE has raised anti-trust concerns in Brussels. The European Commission is expected to soon come with an official âStatement of Objectionsâ. The companies â and the French government â are putting heavy pressure on the Commission to let the deal go through. Â âBlocking the deal would help Chinese rivals and cost jobs in Europe." … [Read more...]
Going for gas: the risky strategy of the worldâs largest companies
They are the biggest companies in the world and they are making a huge bet: they are staking their â and our â future on natural gas. At the World Gas Conference in Paris, the major oil companies all avowed their belief that gas will be the worldâs âfuel of choiceâ, because it is âthe cleanest fossil fuelâ, âabundantâ and âcompetitiveâ. But Karel Beckman argues they are overstating the case for gas. And may even be betting on the wrong horse. … [Read more...]
Limits of the âEnergy Unionâ: expect only pragmatic progress
On 8 June the EU Member States will discuss the European Commissionâs proposals for an Energy Union. According to Severin Fischer and Oliver Geden of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, it is already clear that they will avoid or delay implementation of any meaningful steps in the direction of a political energy union. Over the next few years, they write, the focus of EU energy and climate policy will be … [Read more...]
Exclusive – JĂŠrĂ´me Ferrier, President International Gas Union: âYou cannot equate gas with coal or oil. You have to discriminate!â
Natural gas can help safeguard the planet: it can become the worldâs major energy source, be a factor for peace and help save the climate, says JĂŠrĂ´me Ferrier, President of the International Gas Union (IGU) and the French Gas Association in an interview with Energy Post. But, he adds, to enable gas to fulfill these roles, policymakers will have to make a clear choice in favour of gas over oil and coal. âThey have to discriminate!â … [Read more...]
The Norwegian way: what Poland and others can learn to develop their shale gas
The shale gas hopes of Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe have crumbled now that foreign investors have departed. An important reason for this failure is an inadequate political framework, write Lidia Puka and Aleksandra Gawlikowska-Fyk of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) and Ole Gunnar Austvik of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. They argue that these countries could learn from the Norwegian model, … [Read more...]
Interview Radu Dudau, Energy Policy Group: âWe are in urgent need of a new energy strategyâ
The Romanian energy sector is at a watershed, says Radu Dudau, Director of the Bucharest-based Energy Policy Group, in an interview with Energy Post. âWe are in urgent need of a new energy strategy. We need to decide what to do with our energy sector.â At the same time, says Dudau, the EU needs to get involved to coordinate regional energy matters in Central and Eastern Europe: âThis is a region with no encouraging history of cooperationâ But … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: Brussels Briefing on Energy â All you need to know for May & June
In this Brussels Briefing on Energy for viEUws.eu, journalist Hughes Belin provides an overview of the latest EU energy policy developments, including the competition investigation into capacity markets and the meeting of the G7 energy ministers in Hamburg. He also looks ahead to the agenda for June. … [Read more...]
Greece and Iran: two old friends can change the geopolitics of energy in Europe
Greece, which has long had friendly relations with Iran, is poised to play a key role in distributing Iranian to gas to Europe, if Iranian sanctions are lifted. With Iran in the equation, the energy geopolitics of the region â and thereby the rest of Europe â will look very different from what they are today, write Christos Brakoulias, Constantine Levoyannis and Dr. Angelos Gkanoutas-Leventis of the Greek Energy Forum (GEF) in Brussels. … [Read more...]
How the Nest thermostat will change the energy market
The Nest thermostat is a deceptively simple piece of technology. But itâs already changing the energy market. It will not only save consumers money, but utilities even more so: it will reduce their need for gas peaker plants substantially, writes Deborah Lawrence, founder of the US consultancy group Energy Policy Forum. … [Read more...]
Tennet: Dutch electricity prices down 20%, price declines in almost all European countries
Electricity prices in the Netherlands declined 20% in 2014, according to a new Market Review published by Tennet, the Dutch transmission system operator (TSO), which is also active in Germany. According to the Market Review, electricity prices went down across Europe. Prices in the Netherlands and Germany showed convergence, but there was little convergence overall in Europe. The report also shows that coal-fired power plants are taking over from … [Read more...]
UBS: closures coal and gas fired power plants in Europe accelerating
The influx of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar into energy markets is forcing coal and gas fired generation out of the market even quicker than most analysts expected, according to a new market report from investment bank UBS. According to UBS, policymakers may have to take measures to prevent widespread bankruptcies in the European electricity market, writes Giles Parkinson of Reneweconomy.com.au. … [Read more...]
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