Future of gas
MEP Canfin: The French hard line on nuclear is a dead end
The hard line defended by France over the inclusion of nuclear power in the green finance taxonomy is a dead end because there is no majority in favour of it at the EU level, warns lawmaker Pascal Canfin. Instead, the French MEP argues for including nuclear energy in the 'transition' category.
Europe risks €87 billion in stranded fossil gas assets, report reveals
Europe is already building or planning to build €87 billion worth of fossil gas infrastructure in a continued expansion of pipelines and LNG terminals, despite the need to halve its emissions by 2030, according to a new report published on Thursday (8 April).
Don’t weaken sustainability criteria for green hydrogen, renewable groups tell Commission
Europe should support high sustainability standards for clean hydrogen in its green finance rules, argue a group of 24 renewable energy companies and industry bodies in a letter sent to the European Commission on Wednesday (31 March).
EU urged to keep ‘low-carbon fuels’ out of renewable energy mix
A group of 88 lawmakers in the European Parliament have joined environmental NGOs and the renewable energy industry to demand the exclusion of low-carbon fossil fuels from the upcoming revision of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive.
Investors renew push for EU methane emissions standard on gas
A group representing European investors managing €36 trillion in assets renewed pressure on the European Commission to introduce mandatory methane emissions standards for natural gas, according to a letter dated 31 March.
Fossil fuel shares drop in value compared with clean energy, think tank says
The value of share offerings in fossil fuel companies has dropped by almost 20% since 2012, while low-carbon companies gained ground in a shift towards clean energy, a report by think-tank Carbon Tracker showed on Wednesday (31 March).
Fossil gas ‘has no viable future’, EU’s Timmermans says
Europe has set a clear goal for full decarbonisation by 2050, with renewables-based electricity set to become the dominant energy carrier, and that means fossil gas will have “only a marginal role” in the long run, EU climate chief Frans Timmermans said on Thursday (25 March).
Czechs lead the charge against EU’s ‘do no harm’ green criteria
The environment ministers of Poland, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic have criticised the constraints imposed by the "do no significant harm" principle when it comes to EU funding. Others like Denmark, meanwhile, defend strict limits on fossil fuel spending in the EU's recovery plan.
EU to offer gas plants a green finance label, under certain conditions
The European Union plans to label some gas power plants as sustainable investments, after an initial proposal to deny them a green label faced a backlash from a group of 10 EU member states.
Lawmakers support ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen, stay mute on nuclear
The European Parliament's industry and energy committee passed a resolution on Monday (22 March) supporting hydrogen produced from "low-carbon" energy sources, including fossil gas with carbon sequestration. The motion stopped short, however, of mentioning nuclear as a potential energy source.
LEAK: EU considers expanding role of gas in green finance
The European Commission is reconsidering the position of gas in its sustainable finance taxonomy by recognising the fossil fuel’s role in keeping the lights on during peak electricity demand, according to a leaked document seen by EURACTIV.
Not quite over yet: EIB spent €890 million on fossil gas since phase out, activists say
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has invested €890 million in gas projects since it pledged to phase out investments into fossil fuels by 2022, contradicting the bank’s "gas is over" narrative, activists say.
Renewable industry coalition launches ‘policy charter’ to scale up green hydrogen
The renewable hydrogen coalition has launched its policy charter, showing the steps needed to boost green hydrogen in Europe and give the continent an edge in the race for sustainable energy.
Lithuania to start supplying LNG to Poland next year
Lithuanian state-controlled energy company Ignitis Group will start supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Poland next year when a new pipeline between the two countries comes online, its CEO said on Monday (1 March).
Global gas firms target industrial ‘clusters’ for first hydrogen clients
Gas companies in Europe and America are looking at using the existing gas network to serve industrial “clusters” of hydrogen users in sectors like chemicals, cement and steelmaking, adopting a “phased approach” endorsed by the European Commission.
US pressure drives 18 European companies away from Nord Stream 2
The US government is confident its sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany will have an impact. In a document obtained by EURACTIV Germany, the State Department lists 18 European companies that have already ended their cooperation with the project. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU advisors and Poland’s PGE increase pressure over gas in green finance rules
The European Commission came under new pressure on Monday (22 February) from Poland's biggest power producer, PGE, and its own advisors, over whether to include gas power in EU rules on sustainable finance.
Contributing to global climate goals: How can the gas infrastructure sector develop low-carbon and renewable solutions?
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), developing renewable gases is essential to advancing energy sector decarbonisation. The European Commission states in its Energy System Integration, Hydrogen and Methane emission reduction strategies that renewable gas will be critical for the transformation of the energy system.
‘Low hanging fruit’: Eastern EU states eye existing gas network for hydrogen
Existing gas networks should be repurposed to transport hydrogen and help boost demand, said Michał Kurtyka, Polish Minister of Climate and Environment at an online event about hydrogen in Central and Eastern Europe on Friday (12 February).
‘Historic step’ as European Parliament approves green recovery fund
Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted to pass the EU's €672.5 recovery and resilience facility on Tuesday evening (9 February), unlocking unprecedented funding aimed at helping Europe "build back better" after the COVID-19 crisis.
MEPs back natural gas as a ‘bridge’ to 100% renewable hydrogen
Gas should be used as a bridging solution to produce hydrogen before green varieties made from renewable electricity become commercially available, according to a motion adopted in the European Parliament's environment committee.
‘Gas is over’, EU bank chief says
We need to face the reality that the future is no longer in fossil fuels and need to show credibility on that, said President of the European Investment Bank, Dr Werner Hoyer on Wednesday (20 January).
Nord Stream 2: Europe stays quiet while US ‘tramples over EU sovereignty’
With the recent adoption of its defence budget for 2021, the US has further tightened the screw on Nord Stream 2, threatening sanctions on EU companies involved in the Russian-backed pipeline and putting the future of the project further into uncertainty. EURACTIV France reports.