Speaking to EURACTIV in Astana, former European Commission president José Manuel Barroso talked about Russia, EU sanctions and their impact on Kazakhstan, but also about some important decisions he took when he was in charge of the EU, a time he described as the “geopolitical adolescence” of Europe.
Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria continues to enjoy “de facto free gas” from Russia’s Gazprom – a situation which satisfies no one but ensures political stability in the Russian-controlled region, the country’s energy minister told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Renewable gases are gaining ground in Europe, with France on track to exceed its 2023 intermediate objectives for biomethane injection into the grid. To catch up with the industry, EURACTIV France spoke to Laurence Poirier-Dietz, director general of GRDF, Europe's largest gas distributor.
Concerns have been raised that while the heat has been on Germany's practical response to the war in Ukraine, France has not fared much better. But according to the Chairman of the French National Assembly Thomas Gassilloud, France's measures, including humanitarian aid, help Russia to understand just how serious the situation is.
TurkStream gas pipeline is a conduit for Russian interests in Southeast Europe and should be subject to sanctions, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, a former close associate of Boyko Borissov, who as prime minister ensured the construction of the Bulgarian section for a record time, told EURACTIV.
In an interview with EURACTIV, Witold Waszczykowski, the former foreign minister of Poland and a leading lawmaker in the European Parliament, gave a less than optimistic account of the extraordinary EU summit on Ukraine held on 30-31 May.
European gas infrastructure operators are preparing for all scenarios in the coming winter, including one “with no Russian gas at all” and supply cuts for consumers, says Torben Brabo.
With Europe’s climate neutrality target soon becoming law, energy TSOs have launched joint scenarios to test gas and electricity networks against growing shares of renewables. Under current plans, they foresee 300-800 TWh of renewables feeding into electrolysers by 2050.
The price of CO2 credits on Europe’s emissions trading scheme needs to rise to around €50 per tonne in order to drive the long-term development of Europe’s biomethane industry, says Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, a French researcher.
Boasting 1,200 terawatt hours (TWh) of existing capacity, gas storage sites can be a formidable asset for Europe in the transition to a low-carbon economy, providing much-needed flexibility to a future energy system where gas and electricity will be more closely integrated, says Ilaria Conti.
The production of so-called green hydrogen from wind and solar electricity is seen as a potential game-changer for the transition to a 100% renewable energy system. But getting there will take some time and some intermediary solutions will be needed, says Daan Peters.
As the European Union turns the page on a series of clean energy laws focused on electricity, attention is now turning to decarbonisation in the gas sector, with an upcoming gas package expected in 2020. And the power sector intends to play a central role there too.
In a wide-ranging interview, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov discussed his country’s relations with the EU, major energy and transport projects, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and relations with global players.
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Belgium, Fuad Isgandarov, talks about the current geopolitical tensions with Iran, recent political changes in Armenia, attacks against his country in the international media, the human rights situation and future EU relations.
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.
The political climate for nuclear energy is "not very positive" in Europe, admits William D. Magwood, and the industry is currently shifting towards Russia and Asia as a result. But the emergence of small modular reactors (SMR) built in factories might slow down the process, he argues.
The excess wind and solar electricity generated at times of oversupply could be used more systematically to produce synthetic gas, providing a convenient way of storing renewable energy that would otherwise be lost. The potential is huge, and can be used to heat homes during winter, argues Beate Raabe.
EXCLUSIVE / In a wide-ranging interview, Greece's foreign minister on Sunday (16 July) outlined his country's position on the failed Cyprus reunification talks, scolding UN envoy Espen Barth Eide and rejecting "interventions rights" for Turkey in any future settlement. He also warned against expecting any breakthrough with FYROM.
In the past, European legislation was applied to pipelines coming to EU territory from the outside. This may apply to Nord Stream 2 as well, energy analyst Sijbren de Jong told EURACTIV Slovakia.
EXCLUSIVE / On his first visit to Brussels, newly-elected Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis shared his fears with Euractiv.com about the building of a nuclear plant in Belarus, 40 km from Vilnius and of the hybrid war waged by Russia against the former Soviet republic.
Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič told EURACTIV.com that the Trump administration may be more protectionist than its predecessor. But he is not worried about the impact on the energy market, despite Europe’s immense import needs.
LUKoil would be delighted to sell the EU gas, but it cannot, as Gazprom has a monopoly on Russia's gas exports. However, the gas LUKoil discovered on the Romanian shelf will directly supply the EU, Leonid Fedun told EURACTIV.com.
Before Donald Trump was elected America's new president in yesterday’s elections (8 November), experts told EURACTIV.com that his presidency would have a corrosive effect on global and EU climate and energy policy.
Atomic energy is not competitive in the energy sector and must not be artificially preserved at the expense of renewable alternatives, Benedek Jávor, Green MEP and member of Nuclear Transparency Watch, told EURACTIV Slovakia.
