The signing of the long-awaited $400 billion gas contract between Russia and China is a sign of changing times, writes Pepe Escobar. According to the Asia-based reporter, there are many developments going on, virtually unreported by the western media, that are chipping away at the dominance of the United States in the world. A Russian-Chinese alliance is forming, which will reach out into Europe through energy and trade relations â and  perhaps … [Read more...]
South Stream âLiteâ shows it’s business as usual between EU and Russia
The agreement last week between Gazprom and OMV of Austria on South Stream shows that the EU and Russia will continue their long-standing energy partnership regardless of the crisis around Ukraine, writes Friedbert PflĂŒger, Director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS) at Kingâs College London. According to PflĂŒger, the mutual energy dependence between the EU and Russia should be regarded as a largely positive … [Read more...]
Samuele Furfari: âIf Russia cuts the gas tap, it can forget its dream of selling gas to China one dayâ
The EU has made remarkable progress in improving its security of supply over the last decade and should not worry that Russia will cut off its gas supplies, says Professor Samuele Furfari in an interview with Energy Post Brussels Correspondent Hughes Belin. A long-time senior advisor at the European Commission, Professor Furfari, author of a brandnew provocative book in French - "Vive les Ă©nergies fossiles!" - says the world has entered a new … [Read more...]
Trouble in oil paradise: domestic challenges in Saudi Arabia and their global implications
Saudi Arabia, the mainstay of the worldâs oil system, is faced with mounting problems in its domestic energy market which affect its ability to function as the global swing producer, warns Eckart Woertz in a policy brief written for the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre (NOREF). The country is faced with such a severe natural gas shortage that half of its electricity production now comes from oil. As a result, its ability to export oil may … [Read more...]
Mr Tusk, on what planet do you live (and in which century)?
The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposes to counter the EUâs dependency on Russian gas by forming an âenergy unionâ â a âsingle European body charged with buying its gasâ. According to Energy Postâs editor-in-chief Karel Beckman, this implies that we should fight the Russians by imitating the Russian command-and-control system. Apparently Mr Tusk has not understood what the EU â or EU energy policy â is about. … [Read more...]
A story of ice and fire: how methane hydrates could change the world
A recent technological breakthrough in Japan might soon render economically viable the large-scale exploitation of methane hydrates. The potential of this new (and global) form of unconventional natural gas is mind-blowing. Although a number of countries have already displayed strong interest in exploring their reserves, Japan is most likely to lead this new âdash for gasâ. It has already made the development of methane hydrates an important … [Read more...]
Fracking in the UK: engineers say they can do it safely
The UK is rapidly coming to a pivotal point in its engineering policies. Will it exploit its massive potential of shale gas or will it let itself be steered away from a new gas revolution out of environmental fears? At a recent special summit organised by the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), engineers explained why the fears are overblown. They argued strongly that fracking can be done safely and with minimal impact on the … [Read more...]
Professor Ye Qiâs inside view on Chinese climate policy: âThere is no way we can peak in 2015â
Although China is tackling climate change and air pollution in a serious way, there is no way the countryâs greenhouse gas emissions will peak anytime soon, says the influential Chinese climate scientist Professor Ye Qi in an interview with Energy Post. Professor Qi, who is Director of Chinaâs Climate Policy Institute School of Public Policy and Management â part  of Tsinghua University â and responsible for the publication of an important annual … [Read more...]
Carbon Delirium: the hazardous impact of fossil-fuel addiction on American foreign policy
The elites in the U.S. and other âpetro-statesâ have become so addicted to the power and riches brought by fossil fuels, they are blind to their ill effects, argues Michael Klare. As an example he notes the âdelusionalâ idea that increased gas and oil production in North America could somehow influence Vladimir Putinâs behavior towards Ukraine. This addiction, says Klare, must be cured, as it poses a âdirect danger to humanityâ. … [Read more...]
The gas market goes global â and Europe doesnât see what is coming
Global gas trade is expected to explode â and most of the new supplies will go to Asia. Europe will lose control of markets and pricing and will need to compete at higher Asian prices. Thatâs the main message energy reporter Rudolf ten Hoedt took away from the Gastech LNG conference in Korea in March where he spoke with leading LNG traders, including market leaders Shell, Qatargas and Tokyo Gas. âEurope doesnât realise what is comingâ, they told … [Read more...]
The gas market chaos in Ukraine â and what the EU could do about it
Ukraineâs conflict with Russia has left the Ukrainian gas market in a state of chaos. Russia has turned on the screws by raising the gas price for Ukraine, putting an intolerable burden on the Ukrainian governmentâs budget and threatening the countryâs energy security, write Kinga DudziĆska and Aleksandra Gawlikowska-Fyk of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). As more of than half of gas the EU imports from Russia passes through … [Read more...]
ExxonMobil releases report on stranded carbon asset risks
Climate activists are increasingly putting pressure on investors to withdraw investments from major fossil fuel companies, on the grounds that these companies' "carbon assets" are likely to be "stranded" in the future as the effects of climate change become too far-reaching for policymakers to ignore. In that event, the activists argue, the oil and other fossil fuel companies will not be allowed anymore to exploit their assets, which would leave … [Read more...]
Thereâs only one roadblock to European shale gas: NIMBY
We have seen a spate of think tank publications and opinion pieces doubting the economic and geological potential of shale gas in Europe. According to Nick Grealy, these are all based on outdated statistics and overly conservative assumptions. The US example shows shale gas resources are much larger than the sceptics claim. There is really only one obstacle to exploiting Europeâs shale gas potential: we donât want it in our backyard. But then do … [Read more...]
World Energy Council study highlights need for integration of energy markets in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Latin American and Caribbean region must optimise its energy supply options nationally and across the region in order to support the needs of its growing economies and increasing population, according to a new World Energy Council (WEC) report. The report, âWorld Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures to 2050â, finds that meeting the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regionâs growth in energy demand will be a significant … [Read more...]
EU, in search of an energy strategy, clutches at US âsecurityâ
European access to US liquid natural gas (LNG) exports would be âmuch easierâ with a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in place, US President Barack Obama said at an EU-US summit in Brussels on 26 March, at which energy concerns took centre stage. But the real energy action is likely to take place next week at the EU-US Energy Council on 2 April, when the EUâs High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton and Energy … [Read more...]
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