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Photo: Roman Peklaj70% Cross-border Capacity Target Risks Further Split of Bidding Zones
May 21, 2020 | Tanja SrnovršnikElectricity | RES and EE | Energy policy
More interconnected capacity and better usage of existing interconnection capacity is very important for the efficient transition and integration of renewables. However, although the European ambition is to have at least 70% of the technical capacity available for commercial purposes by 2025, we are currently at just 50%. Machiel Mulder, professor of regulation of the energy market at Groningen...
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Photo: PixabayDifferent Types of Energy Storage Technology Must Be Used to Ensure Flexibility
May 21, 2020 | Peter PalčecElectricity | Natural gas | RES and EE | Energy policy
“The energy transition entails significant challenges. Energy storage can, and will, play a key role in addressing them. Energy storage enables high integration of renewable energy, brings benefits to the energy system, enables replacement of traditional power plants and allows more cost-effective solutions. We will have to ensure that half of Europe’s electricity generation comes from...
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Photo: Roman PeklajClean Energy Package Expected to Be Adopted in Energy Community in 2021
May 18, 2020 | Tanja SrnovršnikRES and EE | Energy policy
The Clean Energy Package, adopted at the EU level in 2018 together with the 2030 GHG emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energy targets, will be tabled for adoption by the European Commission in 2021 for the Energy Community contracting parties, said Tibor Schaffhauser, Climate Policy Advisor at the Energy Community Secretariat, in a webinar on Thursday. The Energy Community...
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Photo: PlinovodiReport: Gas Demand in Southern Corridor Region to Increase Slowly Over the Next 10 Years
May 14, 2020 | Peter PalčecElectricity | Natural gas | RES and EE | Energy policy
“The low increase in demand for natural gas in the European Southern Corridor Region is expected to be marked over the next ten years, slower than the increase marked during the few recent years. The countries of the Southern Corridor Region are expected to account for 27% of the total EU gas demand over the next ten years. The regional increase in annual demand is expected to be 11%. With the...
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Photo: S. Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.netCOVID-19 Could Intensify Energy Market Disruption
May 12, 2020 | Tanja SrnovršnikElectricity | RES and EE | Transport | Energy policy | Economy
The pandemic and policy responses will in many cases accelerate the speed at which the structural trends and pressures related to decarbonisation that were in place before the coronavirus assert themselves, said Mark Lewis of BNP in Montel’s latest COVID-19 related podcast. “I expect to see more electrification, more working from home, less air travel and more use of videoconferencing,”...
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Photo: AES BulgariaStudy: Late Coal Phase-out in SEE Countries Will Be More Costly
May 6, 2020 | Tanja SrnovršnikElectricity | Coal | Energy policy
A total of EUR 3.7 billion for regional development would secure a just transition for a coal phase-out in three South East European (SEE) countries - Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece, according to a new study released by SE3T.net (Southeast Europe Energy Transition Network). According to the study, this investment can be funded by the Just Transition Mechanism that has been proposed by the European...
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Photo: Ana Vučina VršnakEmber: Coronavirus Cut CO2 from Europe’s Power System by 39% in April
May 5, 2020 | Tanja SrnovršnikElectricity | Natural gas | RES and EE | Coal | CO2 emissions
Electricity demand in Europe fell by 14% in the 30 days from 28 March to 26 April compared to the same period last year as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Combined with record solar output, this has caused a 39% drop in CO2 emissions from the electricity sector, wrote Dave Jones, electricity analyst at the climate thinktank Ember, last week....
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Photo: Roman PeklajIEA: Energy Demand in the EU Set to Fall 11% in 2020 Due to COVID-19
May 4, 2020 | Tanja SrnovršnikElectricity | Natural gas | RES and EE | Coal | Energy policy | Economy
Global energy demand will fall 6% in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic - seven times the decline after the 2008 global financial crisis. “In absolute terms, the decline is unprecedented – the equivalent of losing the entire energy demand of India, the world’s third largest energy consumer,” said the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Thursday. Advanced economies are...
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Photo: www.cez.czThe Future of Hydropower Lies in Balancing and Energy Storage Services
April 28, 2020 | Peter PalčecElectricity | RES and EE | Energy policy | CO2 emissions
“Hydropower today represents around 50% of all installed energy generation capacity in the Western Balkan region and contributes 35% to overall energy generation. Significant amounts of new renewable energy generation capacities will need to be constructed in the region if coal is to be phased out by 2050. In the long term it is unlikely that any other RES technology will be able to compete with...
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Photo: Roman PeklajWB6 Power Markets Deregulated, But Characterised With Intra-Group Trade
April 22, 2020 | Tanja SrnovršnikElectricity
Although the wholesale electricity markets in the Energy Community contracting parties are deregulated, in most cases a lot of volumes are captured by the public service providers (PSOs), said Arben Kllokoqi, an electricity expert in the Energy Community Secretariat, in a recent webinar....
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