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A 10-Point Plan to Reduce the European Union’s Reliance on Russian Natural Gas
…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 the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The total 155 bcm imported from Russia accounted for around 45% of the EU’s gas imports in 2021 and almost 40% of its total gas consumption.Progress towards net zero ambitions in Europe will bring down gas use and imports over time, but today’s crisis raises specific questions about imports from Russia and what policy makers and consumers can do to…
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Background note on the natural gas supply-demand balance of the European Union in 2023
…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 the European Union…
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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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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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Is the European Union on track to meet its REPowerEU goals?
Renewables 2022 This report forms a component of Chapter 4 of Renewables 2022 and addresses a key question in renewable energy markets. The REPowerEU plan’s aim is to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027, and the European Commission estimates that this will require significant expansion of renewable energy shares in the electricity, transport and heating sectors. Although the use of renewable energy does increase in all three of these sectors by 2027 in our main-case forecast, in none of them are levels consistent with the REPowerEU plan. While the share of renewables in electricity expands…
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Clean Energy Transitions in the Greater Horn of Africa
…accelerating the development of clean energy systems across Africa, through a sustainable and accelerated regional energy system transformation. The IEA is committed to developing clean, reliable and affordable energy systems, which are essential for achieving sustainable development objectives. It is also committed to helping African countries use energy sector transformation to cope with and recover from crises such as the Covid‑19 pandemic and the Russian Federation’s (“Russia” hereafter) invasion of Ukraine, which have destabilised economies and energy systems. This can be done by improving data, informing decision making and guiding policy implementation, in collaboration with local, regional and international institutions…
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Will new PV manufacturing policies in the United States, India and the European Union create global PV supply diversification?
…relatively low energy costs and labour productivity make China the most competitive solar module manufacturer worldwide. Higher investment costs in India are the primary reason for the cost differential with China, while higher overhead and labour costs makes US PV manufacturing not as competitive. In Europe, rising energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine widened the cost gap with China. Today, EU industrial energy prices are more than triple those of China, India and the United States. Manufacturing policies in India and the United States Recent policy actions in India and the United States aim to increase the competitiveness…
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Sustainable Transport Policy for Armenia: A Roadmap
As a part of the EU4Energy Programme, the Armenia Energy Policy Roadmap on Sustainable Transport presents a comprehensive, evidence-based framework for transforming the country’s mobility system into a sustainable and efficient transport system. The strategy seeks to deliver significant reductions in CO₂ emissions while strengthening regional connectivity, fostering economic development, and enhancing energy security. While Armenia has made notable progress in rolling out electric vehicles and electrifying its rail network, it still struggles with a high dependence on imported fossil fuels, a lack of data transparency and weak co-ordination among government agencies. This roadmap is structured to…
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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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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…
