Energy
Banker: ‘Massive positive change’ underway for building renovation
The energy performance contract model can turn energy efficiency renovation of buildings into a truly popular policy objective among politicians in Central and Eastern Europe because it can be done without any use of public money and has no impact on public debt, says Ivan Lesay.
Polish electricity representative: Derogations needed to ‘make capacity market work’
European Union negotiators will turn their attention to revamping the bloc's electricity market rules under the Austrian Presidency but the issue of so-called capacity mechanisms continues to define the debate.
Equinor: Oil majors have ‘muscle’ to join renewables race
International oil companies have “the financial muscle, the experience, the technical skills, and the supply chain” necessary to take part in the global renewable energy revolution, argues Eirik Waerness of Equinor.
Fabien Roques: EU needs adaptable electricity ‘capacity’ schemes
So-called “capacity mechanisms” are being set up across EU member states to remunerate power stations that remain on standby in case of demand peak. While a European framework is needed to regulate those schemes, Fabien Roques believes they should be adapted to local circumstances. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Claude Turmes: ‘In Council, I will continue running the show for Europe and the planet’
Former MEP Claude Turmes is attending his first Environment Council meeting on Monday (25 June), days after he left the European Parliament to join the government of Luxembourg. In an interview with EURACTIV, he explains how he sees his new role and what he hopes to achieve.
Energy expert: On climate protection, Germany has become a brakesman
While some countries like the United Kingdom quit brown coal some time ago, Germany is still struggling. A new commission is meant to sketch out structural changes but the Bundesrepublik is no longer a pioneer of climate protection, one political scientist told EURACTIV Germany
Claude Turmes MEP: A net-zero emissions target by 2050 will be our red line
Any country resisting an EU-wide objective to reduce emissions to net-zero by mid-century is essentially “in the same camp as Mr. Trump” when it comes to climate change, says Claude Turmes, the lead European Parliament negotiator on the Energy Union governance proposal.
German think-tank: EU’s 32% renewable energy target ’still unambitious’
The 32% renewable energy target agreed by EU negotiators last week is still “much lower” than what would be needed to reach the Paris goals on climate change, argue experts at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Germany.
Neftohim refinery boss: Europe’s refining sector will consolidate, improve
The number of oil refineries in Europe is likely to decrease but those that remain will be truly competitive, highly technological and highly efficient, Ilshat Sharafutdinov told EURACTIV in an interview.
Sefcovic: ‘Amazed’ by leaps forward in electric vehicles
Electric vehicles have come on in leaps and bounds since Commission Vive-President Maroš Šefčovič launched the Energy Union back in 2015. Now, he's expecting the integration of renewables and the redesign of the electricity market to boost the EV revolution even further.
US gas lobby chief: A lot of LNG can come to Europe through Poland
There is a strong possibility that Poland will build a floating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Gdańsk, according to Fred H. Hutchison, who says “a lot of gas” can come to Central European markets this way.
Academic: ‘Huge progress’ in EU gas markets but supply still an issue
The integration of European gas markets has made strides over the last fifteen years, bolstering energy security in Eastern EU countries as a result, says Jonathan Stern. But the collapse of Dutch production means Russia will probably remain at the centre of the game for years to come, he cautions.
Swedish steel boss: ‘Our pilot plant will only emit water vapour’
A new pilot facility under construction in northern Sweden will produce steel using hydrogen from renewable electricity. The only emissions will be water vapour, explains the CEO of Hybrit, the company behind the process, which seeks to revolutionise steelmaking.
Mayor of Ghent: Climate targets ‘almost impossible’ to meet without cities and regions
As the European Commission gets ready to come up with a climate strategy for 2050 and ongoing energy talks approach the finish line, Mayor of Ghent Daniël Termont told EURACTIV that cities and regions should not be relegated to a mere consultation role in this crucial planning phase.
‘No Europeans can be left behind’ by energy transition, says Polish power sector boss
Europe’s energy transition is well under way but every EU country differs in terms of energy mix, economic situation and natural resources. So how fair is the energy transition on countries like Poland, which have a somewhat negative image when it comes to fossil fuel use?
Faria MEP: Offshore Safety Directive is ripe for reform
The Portuguese lawmaker behind the most recent European Parliament resolution on the safety of offshore drilling, told EURACTIV why he opposes moves to open up oil and gas fields in European waters, not least in his home country Portugal.
IEA analyst: A heating and cooling target ‘could make a big difference’
As talks on the EU’s renewable energy rules resume, one of the main talking points is how to decarbonise the heating sector, and deploy technologies like heat pumps and district heating. The International Energy Agency’s Ute Collier told EURACTIV in an interview that the task is complex and difficult.
Karins MEP: ‘Small-scale electricity producers don’t need special protection’
Unregulated electricity prices – and equal access to the grid for both large and small producers – are the only way to ensure higher share of renewables in the long run, says Latvian MEP Krišjānis Kariņš.
Biofuels: ‘Waste and residues’ need clear criteria to avoid system’s misuse
The criteria for "waste and residues" should be so defined clearly in the EU legislation that the system cannot be misused and allowed to endanger sustainability, Robert Spišák told EURACTIV.com in a written interview.
UN Arctic chief: ‘Climate change isn’t linear – it’s accelerating’
Climate change is most evident in the Polar Regions and its impact will serve as a litmus test for what happens to the rest of the planet, the UN’s chief Arctic adviser told EURACTIV in an interview.
Seán Kelly MEP: Gas is ‘preferred option’ as back-up for renewables
Intermittent renewable electricity will need backup for at least the next 20 or 30 years, says Irish MEP Seán Kelly. As the least dirty among fossil fuels, natural gas is probably the most cost-effective and “preferred option,” he argues.
Gas chief: ‘We expect at least 10% of the car market in 2030’
Just as Europe is engaging in a fierce race to electrify transport, makers of natural gas vehicles are coming out with bullish projections, saying they expect their car fleet in Europe to multiply tenfold to 13 million vehicles in 2030 – a 10% market share that could reach 20-30% for trucks and buses.
Energy execs: ‘The market for demand-response is only going to grow’
Demand-response services are still fairly new in the electricity market, but their importance is only expected to grow as power grids come under increasing strain from intermittent renewable energy sources. Andreas Flamm and Frauke Thies explain the “fundamental shift” that needs to happen in the policy landscape.