Electricity
Lithium tipped for EU list of critical raw materials
The soft, silvery-white alkali metal is expected to enter the EU list of critical raw materials later this year because of its strategic importance to the automotive industry, EURACTIV has learned.
EU carbon market ‘the first victim’ as electricity demand collapses
Every country in Europe has seen electricity demand decrease by 2 to 7% week-on-week as coronavirus-related confinement measures were enforced, according to new research by Ember, a climate think tank. Some analysts are now calling for urgent measures to prevent the EU carbon market from collapsing.
German CO2 emissions dive amid coronavirus slump
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a dramatic impact on Germany's demand for electricity. According to initial projections, Germany could emit between 50 and 120 million tons less CO2 this year, meaning it could even exceed its climate target. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Enel says digital drive has given it hedge on coronavirus threat
Italy’s biggest utility, Enel, does not expect the coronavirus epidemic to have any major impact on its results and says its drive to digitalise operations has given it an advantage. Enel has been ramping up spending on digital networks to...
Total to build France’s largest battery
Energy major Total has lifted the lid on a project that aims to construct the largest battery storage facility in France. It could help boost the growth of intermittent renewable power in the French energy mix.
Europe warned about virus impact on clean tech
Governments across Europe should keep clean energy top of mind as they consider measures to protect their economies against a likely recession caused by the coronavirus, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.
Why is the EV rollout at risk of stalling?
Ensuring a swift transition to electric vehicles is one of the clearest ways for governments to make significant progress on emissions reductions, writes Helen Clarkson. However, governments risk holding it back, she adds.
Green transition will require ‘Herculean effort’, EU admits
The European Union will need to “re-orient most, if not all” of its policies in order to protect vulnerable regions and workers in industries affected by the transition to a green economy, the EU Commission’s vice-president Frans Timmermans has said.
A European Green Deal with justness for all?
A fund originally conceived to convince Poland to sign up to the EU’s 2050 climate target has now turned into one of the most contentious aspects of both the Green Deal and the long-term EU budget.
Electricity boss: ‘EU climate law should be kept short and simple’
As the European Commission prepares its proposal for a landmark EU Climate Law, Eurelectric boss Kristian Ruby urges policymakers to keep it simple and focus on the long-term.
Germany needs more LNG to complement renewables, IEA says
The International Energy Agency has praised Germany's push for wind and solar power but urged the country to increase LNG imports in order to reach its 65% renewable energy target for 2030. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Parliament backs EU list of energy projects, ignoring Greens
The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday (12 February) against a motion to reject a proposed list of priority energy projects, ignoring the demands of Greens and leftists who warned against funding new gas infrastructure that risks being stranded as Europe moves to a zero-carbon economy.
Europe plans to harness ‘power of data’ in support of Green Deal
The EU Green Deal “needs digitalisation as an enabler for decarbonisation” in all sectors of the economy, including transport and energy, the European Commission says in a draft policy document, seen by EURACTIV.
Offshore wind boom ‘not enough’ to reach EU climate goals
A record 3.6 gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity was added across Europe in 2019, but the pace of deployment is still too slow to reach Europe’s ambitious climate targets, according to new industry figures published on Thursday (6 February).
Power shift: EU coal output falls 24% in 2019
Global warming emissions from the power sector fell by 12% last year, led by a steep decline in coal power generation, which was replaced half by natural gas and half by renewables, according to fresh data published on Wednesday (5 February).
German cabinet signs coal phase-out bill
The German federal cabinet signed off on the country's coal phase-out bill on Wednesday (29 January), giving its blessing to billions worth of taxpayer money to compensate for power companies' lost revenues. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Electric shock: Could Brexit scar Britain’s energy landscape?
Britain's exit from the EU, which will finally happen on Friday (31 January), has sparked fears of disruption to its electricity market, from higher bills to supply issues and stalled de-carbonisation efforts.
Germany’s new coal phase-out plan: Lots of money, little climate ambition
An agreement reached in the early hours of Thursday (16 January) between the federal government and representatives of the four German coal states won't bring the country much closer to reaching its climate goals, analysts said.
EU Green Deal to tune up car CO2 rules
The European Commission will revise car CO2 standards and move towards zero-emission vehicles in the 2030s, according to the EU’s new Green Deal, unveiled on Wednesday (11 December). Every other mode of transport can expect attention over the next five years too.
Coal pollution in the Western Balkans is a European problem
16 coal plants in the Western Balkans pollute as much as the entire EU fleet of 250 units, causing sickness and deaths across the continent. It’s high time to take action, write Viola von Cramon and Petros Kokkalis.
Worries over ‘fresh money’ as EU cooks up energy transition fund
Eastern EU countries, backed by trade unions, are putting pressure on EU leaders to come up with “fresh money” to support the energy transition in coal-dependent regions as part of a Green Deal due to be unveiled this week.
Power and gas ‘coupling’ seen as key to EU’s zero-carbon quest
As Europe moves towards net-zero emissions, policymakers are looking at all available sources of energy, including new low-carbon gases like hydrogen, to decarbonise at least cost. But direct electrification – of transport, industry and buildings – remains the top priority for the European Commission.
Heat networks in focus as EU cities confront building emissions
Last year, the European Union embarked on a mission to decarbonise the building sector, currently responsible for 40% of the bloc’s energy use. And cities with district heat networks have a head start when it comes to integrating new low-carbon energy sources.