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How to Avoid Gas Shortages in the European Union in 2023
A practical set of actions to close a potential supply-demand gap European and global natural gas markets are not yet out of the danger created by Russia’s cuts to pipeline deliveries of gas. If gas exports from Russia drop to zero and China’s LNG imports rebound to 2021 levels, there is a risk of a shortfall gas supplies in 2023. Measures already taken by EU governments on energy efficiency, renewables and heat pumps should help reduce the size of this potential natural gas supply-demand gap in 2023. A recovery in nuclear and hydropower output from their…
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Will new PV manufacturing policies in the United States, India and the European Union create global PV supply diversification?
…with achieved production, the IRA provides a PTCs for the manufacturing of certain equipment, including solar PV modules, cells, wafers and polysilicon through 2032.According to estimates, PLI support closes nearly 80% of the investment cost gap between India and the lowest-cost manufacturers in China. However, the one-time subsidy means that manufacturing efficiencies will need to be achieved through economies of scale to maintain long-term competitiveness. Meanwhile, fully monetising manufacturing tax credits in the United States could bring all the country’s segments of solar PV manufacturing to cost parity with the lowest-cost manufacturers. Favourable solar…
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Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor 2024
Northwest Europe is at the forefront of low-emissions hydrogen development. This region accounts for around half of Europe’s total hydrogen demand, and it has vast and untapped renewable energy and carbon storage potential in the North Sea. It also has a well-developed, interconnected gas network which could be partially repurposed to facilitate the transmission and distribution of low-emissions hydrogen from production sites to demand centres.The development of low-emissions hydrogen in Northwest Europe could gradually scale up in the short- to medium-term. Northwest European countries now have the ambition to develop up to 30…
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Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor 2025
Northwest Europe is at the forefront of low-emissions hydrogen development. This region accounts for around 40% of Europe’s total hydrogen demand, and it has vast and untapped renewable energy and carbon storage potential in the North Sea. It also has a well-developed, interconnected gas network that could be partially repurposed to facilitate the transmission and distribution of low-emissions hydrogen from production sites to demand centres.The development of the low-emissions hydrogen market in Northwest Europe could gradually scale up in the short- to medium-term. Northwest European countries now have ambition to develop up to…
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Is renewable energy capacity in the European Union making windfall profits from high wholesale prices?
Renewables 2022 This report forms a component of Chapter 4 of Renewables 2022 and addresses a key question in renewable energy markets. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a global energy crisis, leading to sharp increases in oil, natural gas and coal prices. As a result, electricity prices in Europe have risen drastically because natural gas-fuelled plants remain the price-setter in the wholesale market. Furthermore, high fossil fuel prices have resulted in windfall profits for some energy companies. In fact, the profits of major oil, gas, coal and refinery companies in the first half of 2022 more than…
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Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor 2022
Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor Northwest Europe is at the forefront of renewable and low-emission hydrogen development. This region accounts for around half of Europe’s total hydrogen demand, and has a vast and untapped renewable energy potential in the North Sea. It also has a well-developed, interconnected gas network which could be partially repurposed to facilitate the transmission and distribution of renewable and low-emission hydrogen from production sites to demand centres.The development of renewable and low-emission hydrogen in Northwest Europe is expected to gradually scale up in the short- to medium-term to reach a…
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A 10-Point Plan to Reduce the European Union’s Reliance on Russian Natural Gas
Measures implemented this year could bring down gas imports from Russia by over one-third, with additional temporary options to deepen these cuts to well over half while still lowering emissions.Europe’s reliance on imported natural gas from Russia has again been thrown into sharp relief by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. In 2021, the European Union imported an average of over 380 million cubic metres (mcm) per day of gas by pipeline from Russia, or around 140 billion cubic metres (bcm) for the year as a whole. As well as that, around 15 bcm was delivered in…
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Background note on the natural gas supply-demand balance of the European Union in 2023
This background note was developed to inform the discussions at the Special IEA Ministerial on Gas Markets and Supply Security on 15 February 2023. It assesses the latest developments in European and global natural gas markets, taking into account the impacts of the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The analysis examines the key factors affecting the natural gas supply-demand balance of the European Union – and the risks that could lead to a supply-demand gap emerging. And it highlights the measures that can reduce natural gas demand in a structural manner to mitigate…
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Developing Capacity for Long-Term Energy Policy Planning: A Roadmap
EU4Energy regional roadmap Today’s main policy questions relate to what an energy policy should look like to be robust and flexible enough to deal with the uncertainties of the future. Therefore, a scenario-approach relying on energy system models is essential to support decision making because modern energy system analysis provides the best chance of ensuring decisions will not be regretted in the medium to long term.Developing analytical capacity (i.e. tools and staff skills) is complex and time-consuming. To maintain – and especially expand – a country’s capacity for long-term energy planning, adequate resources need to…
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IEA Support to Accelerating Renewable Energy Permitting (ARPE)
Between October 2023 and March 2025, the IEA implemented the “Accelerating Renewable Energy Permitting” (ARPE) action. The goal of ARPE was to support five EU Member states – Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and the Slovak Republic (Focus countries) – in developing and implementing policy and regulatory measures aimed at reaching their renewable energy targets, notably through accelerating permitting of renewable energy projects.In support of this objective, the IEA organised and facilitated five workshops focused on the following topics:streamlining administrative proceduresaccelerating offshore wind deploymentfacilitating spatial planning for renewable energy deploymentensuring public engagement and acceptance, and afinal workshop summarizing the project…