Energy
Ukraine says no plans to resume gas purchases from Russia
Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz said it would not resume buying natural gas from Russia, suspended since late 2015, until Moscow offered it competitive prices and conditions.
Wind industry ‘remained resilient’ during COVID-19 crisis
Despite major disruptions to production and assembly in the first semester, installation of new wind farms over the first half of 2020 was comparable to previous years, industry figures show.
EU’s hydrogen strategy a good start but key problems sidestepped
Europe’s hydrogen strategy mostly points in the right direction by identifying renewable hydrogen as a key energy vector and necessary storage solution for delivering a zero-carbon EU, but it side-steps several key problems that go to the core of what...
E-trains gain upper hand over hydrogen locomotives
Rail operators could make big savings by choosing electric battery power over hydrogen fuel cells when replacing diesel engines, a new study has suggested, although the ever-changing price of energy means the jury is still out on the best power source.
US pipeline sanctions: Reality check
US pipeline sanctions suggest a deliberate misreading of the European gas market and a paternalistic “America knows best” view of how Europeans should manage their energy commerce, writes Danila Bochkarev.
Gas boilers deserve an ‘F’, not an ‘A’
Fossil gas boilers may continue to be labelled ‘green’ for another decade or so if EU leaders fail to review energy labelling rules for heating appliances within a year. This would be very bad news for an overheating world, write...OpinionPromoted content
The European Green Deal will unlock the true potential of bioenergy – if we take the right decisions now
Despite the considerable challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission continues to push ahead on the implementation of its ambitious European Green Deal agenda. Its latest proposals include a new 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and, most recently, the ambitious Energy...
Climate policy endures rough EU budget summit
EU leaders agreed to slash funding for Just Transition policies at a crucial budget summit on Tuesday (21 July) and also watered down a set of green conditions that could hamper the bloc’s long-term climate efforts.
The Dutch have decided: Burning biomass is not sustainable
The Netherlands should phase out the use of biomass for generating electricity as soon as possible, the advisory board of the Dutch government said in a report presented earlier this month.
EU Commission criticised for its reporting on nuclear energy’s sustainability
The European Commission is looking into whether nuclear energy can be classed as a sustainable green investment. But the EU executive's decision to task its research centre with the assessment has already prompted criticism. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Has the coronavirus killed the oil sands industry?
The spectacular collapse in oil prices caused by the coronavirus pandemic has brought the costliest – and most polluting – oil projects such as tar sands to a standstill, a development some analysts say could be definitive.
Gas grid operators unveil plan for European hydrogen infrastructure ‘backbone’
A group of eleven European gas infrastructure companies from nine EU member states presented on Friday (17 July) a plan to create a dedicated hydrogen pipeline network of almost 23,000 km by 2040, to be used in parallel to the natural gas grid.
UK’s next-gen warplane could tap battery power
BAE Systems, the defence company behind the British air force’s new fighter jet, has teased the prospect of electric-battery systems playing a substantial role in powering the RAF’s next-generation Tempest warplane, due to enter service in the 2030s.
Norway’s €2.1bn carbon-capture mega-project gets approval
The Norwegian government’s decision to fund the scale-up of carbon-capture-storage (CCS) technology with more than €2 billion got the green light from a state aid regulator on Friday (17 July). It is the largest tranche of funding ever approved by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) body.
Germany’s Altmaier encourages MEPs to be more realistic
In his presentation of the German EU presidency's priorities, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) urged MEPs on Thursday (16 July) to be more realistic, particularly on renewable energy and relations with China. But he continues to believe that barring Huawei, as the UK recently did, is wrong. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Challenging Germany, US opens way for sanctions on Russia pipeline
Escalating pressure on Germany, US President Donald Trump's administration opened the way Wednesday for tough sanctions as the ally moves forward with the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with Russia.
Oil giants including Exxon set first joint carbon target
A group of the world's top oil companies including Saudi Aramco, China's CNPC and ExxonMobil have for the first time set targets to cut their combined greenhouse gas emissions as a proportion of production, as pressure on the sector's climate stance grows.OpinionPromoted content
A successful energy transition requires a legal certainty that leaves no-one behind
Maintaining base electricity production and the security of supply will be indispensable for enabling more renewables in the grid as Europe’s electricity demand continues to grow. This requires the pace of transition to be gradual to avoid stranding assets, which are operating today under existing legislation and market conditions.
EU states spent more on fossil fuels than clean energy during the crisis, new data shows
France, Germany and Italy have collectively spent $44 billion on fossil fuels during the coronavirus crisis, compared to $29 billion for clean energy, according to fresh data released on Wednesday (15 July).
Portugal’s coal phase-out jumps forward by two years
Portuguese energy utility EDP has announced the closure of its Sines coal power plant, bringing forward the planned shutdown of coal-fired power plants in the country by two years, from 2023 to 2021.
Green budget rules won’t be the hottest potato at EU summit talks
Plans to reserve 30% of European Union spending for climate objectives will not be the hottest topic on the agenda when EU leaders meet on Friday (17 July). And that may be good news for the climate.
Energy Charter Treaty reform: Failure in the first round
The German Presidency should end the comedy of the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty and work on a decision to withdraw en masse from the treaty without further delay, argues Yamina Saheb.
‘Not all biomass is carbon neutral’, industry admits
Leading industry figures acknowledge that not all biomass brings benefits to the climate, insisting that only low-value wood and forest residues should make the cut under EU law.