Hereâs something very different for our readers today, and an opportunity for you to register for our Webinar and Q&A on Wednesday Feb 16th at 09:00 CET (register here). Itâs to mark the book launch of âTouching Hydrogen Futureâ, where 27 energy experts from around the world have written a chapter each. They are fictional accounts of what our world could like in the near future. The countries covered are the Netherlands (2029), Denmark … [Read more...]
Turkey: when electricity price ceilings amplify the pain of gas spikes and currency falls
Turkeyâs rules for an electricity price ceiling may be well intentioned, but they are creating a price ladder that is causing those prices to rise too fast and too much, say Fuat OÄuz at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazit University and ĂaÄrı Peker at the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, Turkey. When market participants are allowed to sell and buy electricity at distorted prices the effects of external shocks are amplified artificially. The main shocks … [Read more...]
Global Coal Database: Covid lockdown may accelerate phase-out
E3G has created a database to track coalâs phase-out across the globe. Though much has been achieved, dating back to 2010, itâs still not on target. Chris Littlecott and Leo Roberts at E3G look at the data from different territories. The OECD and EU28 have made very good progress: 71% of these countries are pursuing coal phase-out, with 58% on track to be coal free by 2030. The article points at successes in the US, the UK, Spain and Germany … [Read more...]
German Geothermal: from 1.2TWh to 100TWh by 2050?
The IEAâs Sustainable Development Scenario sees the world's geothermal power generation tripling to almost 300 TWh by 2030. Thatâs because thereâs an almost unlimited supply that can provide power, heating and cooling. Itâs also a continuous supply uninterrupted by the weather, unlike solar and wind. The plants are small and quiet. For heating, ground-source heat pumps use significantly less electricity than other technologies. Writing for CLEW, … [Read more...]
EU Green Deal: meeting targets by lowering non-EU neighbour emissions too
The EUâs Green Deal and its increasingly ambitious transition policies cannot be limited to its member states, writes Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega at the IFRI Centre for Energy & Climate. For its emissions targets to be met in a meaningful way the EU needs to ensure its neighbours to the east and in North Africa follow. The danger is that carbon intensive industries simply shift to those neighbours, and their products get imported back in. … [Read more...]
Nuclear in 2020: a global look ahead at policy, financing, politics, by country
Dan Yurman presents his worldwide review of nuclearâs prospects. 19 nations are covered. He explains while some countries are planning to scale down nuclear, like South Korea and France, some are increasing investment, like China. Others remain stuck over policy, pricing, financing and politics (e.g. Japan, the U.S.). Exporters of plants, led by Russia, are making moves â not always easily - in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. R&D … [Read more...]
TurkStream disruption: Turkey, Greece can become new gas hubs
For over 30 years the Trans-Balkan pipeline has been used to pump Russian gas to southeast Europe. But Russiaâs construction of the new TurkStream pipelines can open the door for the Trans-Balkan to be re-purposed, explains Aura Sabadus writing for the Atlantic Council. Going forward, LNG can be imported into Turkey and Greece and pumped back up the same pipes to serve the region, reducing dependence on Russian gas. However, such a plan would … [Read more...]
Energy security v Transition in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey
Like most developing countries, the challenge of growing economies, increasing population and rapid urbanisation puts energy security above emissions reductions. So it is for Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, says Duygu Sever in her report for IFRI Centre for Energy & Climate. In this article she explains that all four countries nevertheless have high renewables deployment potential, and have already embraced wind and solar. To accelerate … [Read more...]
East Mediterranean gas finds: EU energy bonanza or geopolitical headache?
Some of the worldâs largest natural gas reserves have been discovered off Cyprus. One of the questions being addressed at this year's CERA Week is, could these massive finds (totalling more than 70 trillion cubic feet!) be the answer to any perceived over-dependency on Russian gas imports to the EU? Maybe, maybe not. Geopolitical tussles could scupper the realisation of these much-needed resources for Europe. Whilst the potential is there, it may … [Read more...]
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