About: natural gas
Russia halts gas supplies to Finland
Russia on Saturday (21 May) stopped providing natural gas to neighbouring Finland, which has angered Moscow by applying for NATO membership, after the Nordic country refused to pay supplier Gazprom in rubles. Following Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow...
Germany may be able to withstand winter without Russian gas, Habeck says
Germany may be able to cope with a boycott of Russian gas imports as soon as the coming winter, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck told WirtschaftsWoche weekly on Thursday (12 May).
Catalan leader confident gas pipeline with France will be built this decade
The head of the regional government of Catalonia is confident a pipeline to ship gas and potentially green hydrogen from the northeastern Spanish region to France will be built this decade as Europe seeks to cut its energy reliance on Russia.
Poles urge EU to stick with gas as a transition fuel in district heating
Poland’s largest electricity company, PGE, has asked EU regulators for more time to replace coal with gas in district heating systems, saying gas in Poland is now mostly supplied by countries other than Russia.
Estonia calls on Europe to wean itself off Russian gas
Europe should develop green energy and import more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to reduce its dependence on Russia, Estonian Prime Minster Kaja Kallas told Reuters on Tuesday (22 February) as the West braced for the possibility of a big Russian assault on Ukraine.
Ukraine showdown casts shadow over Qatar gas summit
Major natural gas exporting nations on Sunday (20 February) began meetings in Doha to discuss how to meet skyrocketing world demand as tensions surrounding Ukraine stoke fears in Europe about gas supplies from Russia.
LEAK: EU gas market overhaul puts consumers, hydrogen at the centre
A draft European Commission proposal to overhaul the EU gas market introduces new rights for consumers to choose their supplier but stops short of setting the targets demanded by industry to ramp up the consumption of renewable and low-carbon gases.
Future German Chancellor committed to gas, Greens fall in line
As the European Commission is expected to present the rules for sustainable finance via the EU taxonomy this year, the largest EU state and its future chancellor is more committed to gas than ever.
Germany’s SPD pushes for inclusion of gas in EU green finance taxonomy
The role of gas in the energy transition should be reflected in the EU’s green finance taxonomy, according to the economy and energy spokesperson of Germany's social democratic SPD party, which is expected to lead the next German government coalition.
Norway’s giant Troll gas field starts third stage of production
Norway on Friday began to pump natural gas from the third stage of its offshore Troll field, a development that will extend the deposit's producing lifetime beyond 2050, operator Equinor said on Monday (30 August).
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.
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).
Recovery plans fall short of EU green spending goals, campaigners warn
As the European Commission starts endorsing national recovery plans submitted by EU countries, campaigners are growing concerned that the EU executive may not fully enforce the fund's green spending target.
Campaigners ring alarm over EU funding for gas projects through the back door
The European Commission last week published an updated methodology to assess which gas infrastructure projects will be eligible to receive EU funding, triggering warnings by environmental groups and a senior member of the European Parliament.
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.
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.
Gas overtakes lignite as Europe’s largest source of power emissions
Gas power plants overtook lignite in 2020 to become the EU's single largest source of power sector emissions, according to fresh analysis from energy think tank Ember.
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).
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.
‘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).
Gas wins recognition as ‘transitional technology’ to climate neutrality
The lower carbon intensity of natural gas – which produces half the emissions of coal when burned in power plants – and the emergence of new technologies like hydrogen are setting gas apart from other fossil fuels in the clean energy transition.
Fossil fuels axed from EU’s just transition fund, but loophole remains for gas
The European Parliament reached a provisional agreement with EU member states on Wednesday (9 December), which sees fossil fuels axed from the EU's just transition fund but finding their way back into EU regional development funding until 2025.