Global gas trade is expected to explode – 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. That’s 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. “Europe doesn’t realise what is coming”, they told … [Read more...]
The gas market chaos in Ukraine – and what the EU could do about it
Ukraine’s 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 government’s budget and threatening the country’s energy security, write Kinga DudziĹ„ska 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...]
The vision of Peter Terium, CEO of RWE: “We want to be the holistic energy manager of the future”
RWE, the German utility known for its reliance on large lignite, coal and nuclear power stations, and its high CO2 emissions, is undergoing a fundamental transformation. “We want to use our leading market position to take our customers into a new future”, explains RWE’s Dutch CEO Peter Terium in an exclusive interview with Energy Post. “My dream, my vision is that RWE will put solar panels on your roof, a battery in your shed, a heat pump in your … [Read more...]
China’s continuing renewable energy revolution: global implications
China’s renewable energy revolution is powering ahead, with the year 2013 marking an important inflection point where the scales tipped more towards electric power generated from water, wind and solar than from fossil fuels and nuclear. This means that its energy security is being enhanced, while carbon emissions from the power sector can be expected to soon start to fall. … [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...]
There’s 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 Europe’s shale gas potential: we don’t 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, “World Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures to 2050”, finds that meeting the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region’s growth in energy demand will be a significant … [Read more...]
Why there’s nothing wrong with being “dependent” on Russia
In response to the Ukraine crisis, the European Union is rushing ahead with sanctions against Russia and will take extra measures to reduce its energy dependence on Russia. According to Energy Post editor Karel Beckman these policies are misguided and based on spurious arguments. He argues that Europe should see Russia as a rival, not as an enemy. “Putin only did what any western leader – certainly any US president – would have done in his … [Read more...]
Interview Arthur Berman: “Shale is not a revolution, it’s a retirement party”
How much faith can we put in our ability to decipher all the numbers out there telling us the US will soon be cornering the global oil market? There's another side to the story of the relentless US shale boom, one that says that some of the numbers are misunderstood, while others are simply preposterous. According to energy expert Arthur Berman, a geological consultant with thirty-four years of experience in petroleum exploration and production, … [Read more...]
“Egypt lost $10 billion in corrupt gas contracts”
Egypt lost $10 billion in gas revenues from 2005-2011, according to a report by EIPR (Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights) and Platform London. Contracts signed during the Mubarak years allowed the export of billions of cubic metres of underpriced gas to Jordan, Spain and Israeli-occupied Palestine, according to the report. EIPR and Platform London summarize the report, which is only available in Arabic, as follows: Some of the individuals … [Read more...]
The EU 2030 climate package: crucial questions go unanswered
Although most observers have reacted positively to the Commission’s January 2014 package of proposals on 2030 climate targets, from a business perspective, there are too many areas where delays are threatening, writes Jesse Scott, Head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Policy Unit of Eurelectric, the European association of electricity producers. ”Many crucial questions have not yet been answered”, notes Scott – most of all when it … [Read more...]
Explosive report from France: shale revolution overblown
In an explosive new report, researchers from the influential French think thank IDDRI take apart many of the myths that in their view have developed around the unconventional gas and oil “revolution” in the US. Shale has not led to an industrial renaissance in the US, they write, nor will it make the US “energy independent”. Shale gas has not even contributed significantly to lower CO2 emissions in the US. For Europe, says lead author Thomas … [Read more...]
Ukraine fallout: how to deal with South Stream and Nord Stream
A new report from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) contends that, in light of the Ukraine crisis, the EU should allow Gazprom to use its great new pipelines South Stream and Nord Stream for itself and not be required to grant access to third parties. But the Center for Security Studies (CSS) ETH ZĂĽrch, argues the opposite in a new report of its own. It says the EU should adopt a strict regulatory policy towards South Stream and … [Read more...]
What the Ukrainian crisis means for gas markets
A new report by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies discusses what the current Ukrainian crisis could mean for EU and global gas markets. According to the report, "The change of government in Kyiv, the Russian military action in Crimea, the diplomatic reaction by the western powers, and the perceived danger of war, clearly have implications for all economic relations between Russia, Ukraine and Europe, especially in the energy sphere. … [Read more...]
IHS: save Energiewende by replacing offshore wind with shale gas
A new research report from international energy consultancy IHS "presents a path towards a rebalanced approach that could return the Energiewende to its original goal of providing a competitive transition to a low-carbon economy while generating substantial benefits to Germany’s gross domestic product (GDP), jobs, income, trade position and government revenues." According to IHS, "redeveloping the current Energiewende would reduce the cumulative … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- Next Page »