Abu Dhabi likes to see itself as a global capital of renewable energy â but its ventures into sustainability are built on oil riches, which the country is not prepared to give up. Hypocritical? Perhaps, but itâs a hypocrisy shared by the rest of the world. Most countries and companies are pursuing an energy transformation which at the same time they are kicking down the road. And yet, writes Energy Post editor Karel Beckman in a reflective essay … [Read more...]
The French disconnection â How to reduce the nuclear share in Franceâs energy mix
In a paper  written for the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, David Buchan takes stock of the debate that has been going on in France on the future of nuclear power. He concludes that it makes sense for France to prolong the lives of its existing reactors, but that replacing them at some point in the future will be a huge challenge. He argues that the country will not be able to do this in the same way and the same timeframe that it built … [Read more...]
BP: âOptimistic for the worldâs energy futureâ
The good news from the BP Energy Outlook 2035, presented on 15 January, is that there will be no problem meeting the worldâs energy demand over the next two decades. When it comes to availability of energy, âthere is no problemâ, said BPâs Group Chief Economist Christof RĂźhl at the presentation of the report in London. BPâs CEO Bob Dudley said BP is âoptimistic for the worldâs energy futureâ. The fourth edition of BPâs annual  Energy Outlook … [Read more...]
German supreme court: nuclear shutdown unlawful
The forced closure of RWE's Biblis nuclear power plant after the Fukushima accident was unlawful, the German Supreme Administrative Court has ruled. The utility is now likely to sue for considerable damages. This is reported by World Nuclear News, the online news medium of the World Nuclear Association. According to World Nuclear News,on 14 January the State of Hesse âwas told it acted illegally by enforcing the decisions on the Biblis … [Read more...]
Rosatom signs contract to build nuclear plant for Fennovoima in Finland
Interview with Chairman Pekka Ottavainen: âIt was a very simple choiceâ. The Finnish company Fennovoima has signed a contract with Rosatom to build a 1200 MW greenfield nuclear power plant, Hanhikivi I, in Pyhäjoki in northern Finland. It is the first time in the post-Soviet era that the Russian company will be building a new nuclear power station in the EU. The plant will cost roughly âŹ6 billion and will deliver electricity at âno more than … [Read more...]
Give Iran a chance to be tested
The interim-deal with Iran should be given a fair chance, argues Friedbert PflĂźger, Director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS). The world economy would benefit if Iranian oil and gas exports could be restored. The climate would benefit if the massive flaring of gas in Iran and the prevailing energy inefficiency could be reduced and renewable energy investments stimulated. … [Read more...]
Interview Ambassador Wu: âAn energy revolution is very much neededâ
In a speech in Groningen at the Energy Convention 2013, Wu Jianmin, Executive Vice-Chairman of the influential China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, a government-aligned think tank in Beijing, declared that China âvery much needs an energy revolutionâ. China âdepends too much on coalâ, said Wu. But in an interview with Energy Post he added we should not expect miracles. âWe can't get rid of the coal yet.â … [Read more...]
The Mad Scientists at the Department of Energyâs National Laboratories
What energy innovation can we expect to come out of the United States in the coming years? Matthew Stepp, Senior Policy Analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington DC, takes us on a whirlwind tour of some of the most advanced American energy research going on. He visits five of the 17 National Laboratories of the US Department of Energy, where research is carried out on materials (e.g. for better … [Read more...]
Exclusive interview IEA-Director Maria van der Hoeven: âWe cannot rule out new revolutionsâ
In its new World Energy Outlook (WEO), the IEA is cautious about the prospects of unconventional oil and gas outside the US. As regards shale gas, it notes that âuncertainty remains over the quality, the costs and public acceptance.â Yet in an interview with Energy Post, IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven notes that âthe gas is there. All geologists are agreed on that.â Moreover, âthere may be other surprises in store, for example with … [Read more...]
Top climate scientists call on environmentalists to support nuclear
In an open letter addressed to "those influencing environmental policy but opposed to nuclear power", four top climate scientists in the US have called on world leaders and environmental activists to support the developmnet of nuclear power to protect the climate. The scientists are James Hansen, Ken Caldeira, Kerry Emanuel and Tom Wigley. Here is their letter, published by CNN: "As climate and energy scientists concerned with global climate … [Read more...]
How to turn Bulgaria into Eastern Europeâs energy hub and gateway
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 Europeâs 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...]
Christoph Frei, World Energy Council: âResilience will rise to top of agenda”
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, âis not happeningâ. This means, says Frei, that âif no radical policy shift takes place, concerns will shift from mitigation to … [Read more...]
Seven Steps to Energy Policy Heaven
Now that a new political year has started, it may be useful to ask what exactly are the most important parameters that should go into any energy policy mix. I have identified seven â which I have dubbed the Seven Steps to Energy Policy Heaven. The nice thing about my âenergy policy modelâ is that it may come in handy â even if you totally disagree with my ideas. Photo: Heaven visited me by Kevin Dooley … [Read more...]
Nuclear Power: the Faustian Bargain
There are good reasons to be in favor of nuclear power â for now. There are even better reasons to want to replace nuclear power by renewable energy â in the not too distant future, writes Allan Hoffman, former energy expert at the US Department of Energy. This is the second of two articles in which Hoffman, who runs the blog Thoughts of a Lapsed Physicist, reflects on a sensitive energy topic. In his first article he weighed the pros and cons of … [Read more...]
Germanyâs âEnergiewendeâ Shows Why We Need Nuclear
Germanyâs energy transition has been used by activists and governments as evidence that we can solve climate change with wind and solar, and that we donât need nuclear power. But according to Max Luke and Jessica Lovering of the Breakthrough Institute, if we take the fight against CO2 emissions seriously, it would be foolish â and very expensive â to limit the options to renewables alone and not to include nuclear power. Nuclear power plant … [Read more...]