Whatâs holding up the energy transition? Not the hardware, says the energy sector: proven clean energy solutions abound and any bottlenecks are continually being addressed by innovation. Not the money, says the finance sector: there is more than enough investment queueing up for realistic returns. Itâs the politics: the voters and the businesses that rationally oppose what could cost them too much. So the main obstacle is the ability of … [Read more...]
European gas prices have fallen sharply since August. What happens next?
Prices on the European gas market have fallen sharply since August 2022 and Europeâs gas storage facilities are almost full. Thatâs good news, but the problems arenât over. Simon Göss at cr.hub, writing for Energy Brainpool, explains why by looking at the data. He runs through the main factors driving the changes, primarily strong LNG imports, Norwayâs increased production, mild weather, and lower gas consumption (particularly in industry). … [Read more...]
EU Solar has avoided 20bcm of gas imports and saved âŹ29bn
Solar generation in the EU has avoided the import of 20bcm of gas that would have cost âŹ29bn, explains PaweĆ CzyĆŒak at Ember, writing for Carbon Brief. The new solar power added since 2021 alone avoided âŹ6bn of gas imports. Record EU solar generation increased by 28% in the summer of 2022, compared with the same period a year earlier. And itâs growing very quickly, with a consistent 15% year-on-year increases in installed solar capacity â from … [Read more...]
Event Summary: Building GW-scale Offshore Wind in the Baltic Sea
Here we provide a written summary of the panel discussion âWind of Change or Change of Wind? The future of Baltic Sea offshore investmentsâ held on 12th September 2022 in Brussels. Itâs a full summary of the 90 minute discussion (including audience questions), but it begins conveniently with a summary of the highlights. The Baltic Sea has the potential to develop over 90 GW of offshore wind capacity. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has delivered … [Read more...]
Fossil fuel producers can decarbonise by exporting Electricity, Hydrogen, and Steel
The compelling reason why fossil fuel producers will be needed even beyond 2050 is that they currently provide over 80% of global energy, and 90% of the worldâs population still needs the wealth creation that energy delivers, says Schalk Cloete. Given that, he summarises his co-authored paper that takes a close look at how a fossil exporter, Norway, can trade with an importer, Germany, while decarbonising. The modelling focusses on electricity … [Read more...]
As spot market electricity prices break all records, what is the prediction for winter?
Spot market prices for electricity have been breaking all records, as European leaders and their ministers intensify their discussions on how to deal with the crisis. Simon Göss at cr.hub, writing for Energy Brainpool, starts by explaining how the markets work, noting that price rises are indeed being driven by fossil prices and not CO2 certificates. Göss looks at how prices have climbed in Germany, France, the Baltics and Spain, and how the … [Read more...]
Hydrogen project pipelines need new ways of matchmaking investors and developers
What is required to catalyse private investment in the new hydrogen economy? Isabelle Huber at the Center for Strategic and International Studies has looked at a European Investment Bank survey of hydrogen investors in the EU to find some answers. One obvious challenge is the cost of moving to hydrogen. An example of dealing with this is Germanyâs H2Global mechanism which uses government funds to bridge the gap. But another major problem … [Read more...]
If Russia cuts its gas supplies to Germany, what happens next?
Replacing Russian pipeline gas to Europe in the short term is much more difficult than finding alternative sources for coal and oil. Itâs why the EU hasnât banned Russian gas. But what if Russia cuts off the supply? Benjamin Wehrmann at Clean Energy Wire looks at what the consequences and options are for Germany. Though Germany aims to wean itself off Russian supplies almost entirely by 2024, a sudden cut would have serious consequences. Storage … [Read more...]
Reversible Hydrogen fuel cells: can H2 gas-to-power support the grid economically?
We know about making green hydrogen from excess intermittent wind and solar. We also know that that same intermittency means the gaps in wind and solar generation need filling. Green hydrogen is very expensive to make. But what if that green hydrogen could be economically converted back to power when needed? Writing for Stanford University, Edmund Andrews describes new research, in collaboration with the University of Mannheim in Germany, into … [Read more...]
EU Heat Pumps: warnings against âone size fits allâ policies
The EU is aiming for the installation of 50 million heat pumps by 2030, equating to annual growth of 16%, reaching one third of the total 150 million boiler installations in the bloc. Helen Farrell reviews these ambitious targets and the policies that are driving them, and turns to a report by RAP to identify the weaknesses in the plan and how it can be improved. The main danger is a âone size fits allâ approach. Different countries have … [Read more...]
Do e-bike subsidies lift sales, change habits and cut emissions?
What happened when Sweden introduced a 25% rebate on the cost of an e-bike for 12 months over 2017-18? Lucas Davis at the Haas School of Business reviews a study that digs into the consequences. Sales increased by 70%. E-bike prices remained steady, so the sellers didnât simply raise prices to eat up the rebate. The study estimates that although a third of those sales would have âhappened anywayâ (i.e. no additionality) the remaining two-thirds … [Read more...]
Piloting peer-to-peer electricity markets in China and the EU
Peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity trading is being promoted, to varying degrees, in both the EU and China. It allows individual citizens and businesses to produce and trade their own solar power (local, rooftop), while enabling the close-to-real-time balancing of supply and demand to maintain system stability. Helena Uhde at the ECECP gives an insight into the current status, implementation, regulations and policies in both regions. She cites two … [Read more...]
How could Germany wind down Russian oil imports by the end of 2022
Berlin has said that, though difficult, it could become independent of Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, with a target of halving them by the middle of the year. Kerstine Appunn at Clean Energy Wire compiles information on the practical challenges for Germanyâs oil infrastructure, refineries and security of supply. Germany is serviced by three pipeline systems for the west, the east and the south of the country. But they are not connected … [Read more...]
Q&A: How fast can renewables deliver on Germany’s new energy independence goals?
How quickly can Germany reduce its dependence on fossil fuels? Benjamin Wehrmann at Clean Energy Wire asks six practical questions that must be answered, then gathers the expert answers. What are the current expansion goals for wind, solar and other renewables? Following Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine, will the new emergency plans bring an end to Russian imports as well as reach climate targets? Are renewable power companies ready to deliver a fast … [Read more...]
What can replace Russian gas: modelling Germanyâs options on renewables, coal, nuclear, LNG, lowering thermostats
A sudden cut in Russian gas imports means Germany will have to cope with the loss of TWhs. How? Tobias Federico at Energy Brainpool wants decision-makers to get the facts straight. He uses modelling tools to answer this question that is causing fierce debate. The first thing to note is that the loss of gas TWhs (of the order of 100TWh) will be most felt in the provision of heat over winter. Heating systems mostly depends on gas, so intermittent … [Read more...]
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