Future of gas
EU methane rules must cover the entire gas supply chain, including imports
A group of environmental organisations and global energy companies, including Shell, have called for mandatory EU rules on methane encompassing the entire gas value chain, including imports from abroad, writes Maarten Wetselaar.
Italgas named preferred bidder for Greek gas grid
Greek privatisation agency HRADF has named Italgas as preferred bidder in a tender for the sale of state-controlled gas distribution network DEPA Infrastructure, it said on Thursday (9 September).
How to regulate hydrogen networks
The need for regulating networks for transporting hydrogen is becoming increasingly urgent, but the legislation needs to be designed in a way to give the market flexibility to overcome the challenges ahead, writes Noé van Hulst.
Summer controversy illustrates polarisation of hydrogen debate
An August research paper by two US scholars, Robert Howarth and Mark Jacobson, cast doubt over the environmental merits of 'blue' hydrogen made from fossil gas with carbon capture technology, triggering fierce reactions from commentators and the industry.
Greek fires: Blaming climate change is only the start, phasing out fossil fuels is the rest
If Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is to help save Greece – and the planet – from the climate emergency, the changes his government must make are dramatic, writes Jonathan Gant.
French gas association optimistic about reaching 2023 biomethane target this year
The gas industry is committed to ensuring that by 2050, 100% of gas is renewable or decarbonised, but to achieve that, it will have to diversify, Patrick Corbin, president of the French Gas Association (AFG) said in an interview with EURACTIV France.
French gas storage mechanism seen paving way for 100% renewable gas
The European Commission's green light for a natural gas storage aid scheme in France was welcomed by infrastructure operator Storengy, which says it will allow the transition to 100% renewable gas. EURACTIV France reports.
Rebound in global gas demand threatens international climate targets – IEA
A rebound in global gas demand to 2024 following the record fall last year is poised to knock the world off track from reaching its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Monday (5 July).
Decarbonising natural gas requires regulatory reform
The EU’s upcoming hydrogen and gas market decarbonisation package needs to address an array of key questions, including redirecting subsidies away from fossil fuels towards cleaner and renewable gases, argue scholars from the Stockholm Environment Institute.
Gas infrastructure across Europe leaking planet-warming methane: report
The potent greenhouse gas methane is spewing out of natural gas infrastructure across the European Union because of leaks and venting, according to video footage made available to Reuters.
France fails to adopt clear position on future gas funding
As EU energy ministers agreed last week to phase out gas-hydrogen blending projects, France did not adopt a clear position on the matter even if this means prolonging the bloc’s reliance on fossil fuels. EURACTIV France reports.
Infrastructure dispute reveals deep divisions in Europe over gas
The EU's 27 energy ministers on Friday (11 June) came to an uneasy compromise on the revision of EU rules covering investments in cross-border energy infrastructure, the so-called TEN-E regulation. The fraught debate sets an unwelcome precedent for future debates over gas.
EU countries agree to prolong funding for selected gas projects, with caveats
European Union energy ministers on Friday (11 June) agreed to prolong EU support for some cross-border natural gas projects, despite a push from 11 countries and the European Commission who said such funding should end to comply with climate change goals.
Germany says Ukraine must remain gas transit country after new pipeline
Germany said Ukraine should remain a transit country for Russian gas, the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper reported, after President Vladimir Putin said it would depend on the former Soviet republic showing "goodwill" towards Moscow.
Eleven EU countries hold firm in rejecting prolonged funding for gas projects
Eleven countries, including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, were set to reject a plan to prolong EU support for cross-border natural gas projects, and instead push for rules to exclude fossil fuels, according to a document seen by Reuters.
Rugby, and the art of regulating energy in times of uncertainty
A recent decision by the Belgian energy regulator offers an unexpected analogy with the way rugby rules were rewritten to favour try scoring and greater entertainment for the fans, write Dominic Scott and Bram Claeys.
GE eyes 100% hydrogen-fuelled power plants by 2030
While fossil gas is often seen as a transition fuel towards a fully decarbonised energy mix, GE Gas Power sees low-carbon gas as “a destination technology” with a potential to convert power plants to run 100% on clean hydrogen by 2030.
Natural gas bashing is trendy, but is it constructive?
Surely, natural gas, too, will have to be phased out over time, so why not skip this phase and move straight to wind and solar? The idea sounds enticing, but upon closer examination, it is counterproductive if not self-defeating, argues Olga Bielkova.
Using hydrogen fuel risks locking in reliance on fossil fuels, researchers warn
Using hydrogen-based fuels for cars and home heating risks locking in a dependency on fossil fuels and failing to tackle the climate crisis, according to a new analysis. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
UN methane report ups pressure on EU to tackle the planet-warming gas
The world must urgently cut its emissions of methane to rein in climate change, a UN report said Thursday (6 May) raising pressure on European Union policymakers who are drafting the bloc's first methane regulations targeting fossil fuels.
Eleven EU countries call to ban fossil fuels from trans-European energy infrastructure
Eleven EU countries have signed a declaration calling on the European Union to stop funding fossil fuels under its trans-European energy infrastructure regulation (TEN-E), which is currently under revision.
Mainstream parties block ECR resolution to force vote on Nord Stream 2
An attempt by right-wing Polish MEPs to force a plenary vote on the controversial gas pipeline between Russia and Germany was blocked for a second time by the two largest groups in the European Parliament on Thursday (29 April), Parliament...
Urgent methane cuts needed to rein in climate change, UN says
Deep cuts in methane emissions, including from the fossil fuel industry, are urgently needed to slow the rate of global warming and keep it beneath a threshold agreed by world leaders, according to a UN report due to be released next week.