Post by Trade facilitator on Jul 4, 2022 13:48:57 GMT 1
All the European countries returning to ‘dirty’ coal as Russia threatens to turn off the gas tap
As Russia threatens to limit gas supplies this winter, certain European countries are scrambling to ensure their energy needs are met during the coldest time of the year.
In turn, this means backtracking on their climate pledges in favour of firing up coal power plants.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that Europe should be ready for Russia to turn off all gas exports to the region this winter. Though it acknowledges that this isn’t the most likely scenario, it could be on the table as the country seeks to gain political leverage.
Head of the IEA, Fatih Birol, told the Financial Times that measures taken by European governments had not gone far enough in ensuring energy supplies were ready for a potential cut-off. The bloc, he added, needs a contingency plan - particularly when it comes to gas.
And while the EU has been working to reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, some member states warn this could mean burning more coal to bridge the energy gap.
Last week, Russia cut the capacity of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60 per cent, blaming a technical issue. This is one of the main ways that the country brings its gas into Europe.
On Sunday, Germany and Austria announced an emergency restart of coal power stations. By Monday, the Netherlands had followed suit, lifting all restrictions on power stations that use the fossil fuel. Previously, they were limited to just over a third of the country’s power output.
Other EU countries, including Italy, are expected to start up their old coal-fuelled power stations too as the energy crisis worsens.
This supposedly temporary increase in coal use has raised concerns about progress on the EU’s shift to less polluting power alternatives, as it is widely regarded to be the dirtiest fossil fuel.
Can renewables plug the EU’s energy supply gap?
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned EU member states on Monday not to slide back into using fossil fuels like coal.
Instead, she urged governments to stay focused on “massive investment in renewables.”
“We have to make sure we use this crisis to move forward and not to have a backsliding on the dirty fossil fuels,” von der Leyen told European journalists.
The Commission, she added, was doing everything it could to make sure the EU could look back and say “we made the right choices”.
In a recent report, the IEA announced that nearly €2.3 trillion is set to be invested in the energy sector this year - including record spending on renewables.
The agency found that investment in oil and gas could not meet rising energy demand without being redirected towards cleaner technology.
Source: www.euronews.com/green/2022/06/24/all-the-european-countries-returning-to-dirty-coal-as-russia-threatens-to-turn-off-the-gas
As Russia threatens to limit gas supplies this winter, certain European countries are scrambling to ensure their energy needs are met during the coldest time of the year.
In turn, this means backtracking on their climate pledges in favour of firing up coal power plants.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that Europe should be ready for Russia to turn off all gas exports to the region this winter. Though it acknowledges that this isn’t the most likely scenario, it could be on the table as the country seeks to gain political leverage.
Head of the IEA, Fatih Birol, told the Financial Times that measures taken by European governments had not gone far enough in ensuring energy supplies were ready for a potential cut-off. The bloc, he added, needs a contingency plan - particularly when it comes to gas.
And while the EU has been working to reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, some member states warn this could mean burning more coal to bridge the energy gap.
Last week, Russia cut the capacity of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60 per cent, blaming a technical issue. This is one of the main ways that the country brings its gas into Europe.
On Sunday, Germany and Austria announced an emergency restart of coal power stations. By Monday, the Netherlands had followed suit, lifting all restrictions on power stations that use the fossil fuel. Previously, they were limited to just over a third of the country’s power output.
Other EU countries, including Italy, are expected to start up their old coal-fuelled power stations too as the energy crisis worsens.
This supposedly temporary increase in coal use has raised concerns about progress on the EU’s shift to less polluting power alternatives, as it is widely regarded to be the dirtiest fossil fuel.
Can renewables plug the EU’s energy supply gap?
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned EU member states on Monday not to slide back into using fossil fuels like coal.
Instead, she urged governments to stay focused on “massive investment in renewables.”
“We have to make sure we use this crisis to move forward and not to have a backsliding on the dirty fossil fuels,” von der Leyen told European journalists.
The Commission, she added, was doing everything it could to make sure the EU could look back and say “we made the right choices”.
In a recent report, the IEA announced that nearly €2.3 trillion is set to be invested in the energy sector this year - including record spending on renewables.
The agency found that investment in oil and gas could not meet rising energy demand without being redirected towards cleaner technology.
Source: www.euronews.com/green/2022/06/24/all-the-european-countries-returning-to-dirty-coal-as-russia-threatens-to-turn-off-the-gas
