EU
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Commentary
Nuclear: The Cornerstone of Security and Sovereignty
From France’s legacy to America’s momentum, experts warn that without decisive leadership, China and Russia will dominate the nuclear-AI economy. Nuclear energy has moved from being a quiet constant to the centerpiece of a global race. Nations increasingly recognize that sovereignty—economic, technological, and cultural—depends on securing clean, stable, and independent sources of power. COMMENTARY Myrto […]
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Energy Storage
EU’s Largest BESS Project Now Online in Bulgaria
A battery energy storage system (BESS) described as the largest deployed to date in the European Union (EU) has been commissioned in Bulgaria. Officials with the country’s Ministry of Energy said the 124-MW/496.2-MWh BESS, also the largest in the Balkans, supports the stability of Bulgaria’s power grid along with its transition to the use of more renewable energy resources.
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Legal & Regulatory
EU Mandates Biodiversity Restoration, Setting Up New ‘Green’ Requirements Alongside ‘Clean’ Ones for Power Sector
This June, the European Council formally adopted a first-of-its-kind regulation that sets out to restore at least 20% of the European Union’s (EU’s) land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of
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Hydrogen
Auditors Call EU Hydrogen Production Goals ‘Overly Ambitious’
A group that assesses the effectiveness of actions by the European Union (EU), including how energy initiatives impact the economies of EU member states, said the current goals for EU hydrogen production are “overly ambitious” and not realistic. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) in a report published July 16 said targets to produce as […]
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Renewables
Masdar Inks $3.4 Billion Deal to Acquire Greece Renewable Energy Major
Masdar, the Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy major, said it has agreed to buy Greece’s Terna Energy in a €3.2 billion ($3.4 billion) deal. The agreement signed June 20 is one of the largest renewable energy transactions in the history of the European Union. Masdar—also known as Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co.—said Thursday it had a […]
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Commentary
Nuclear Energy—A Technology That Must Be Continued
Dr. David Gattie, a University of Georgia engineering professor, recently tweeted, “Nuclear is critical, but the priority must be U.S. national security and ensuring America’s competitive advantage over China and Russia in nuclear science, engineering and technology—not just about climate change.” As I sit in Warsaw, Poland, just a train ride to the Ukrainian border, […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Overcoming Hurdles in Offshore Wind Development: Ireland in a Race Against Time
As the world intensifies its efforts to combat climate change, Ireland has set ambitious goals to produce offshore renewable energy as part of its Climate Action Plan. A member of the European Union (EU)
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Gas
Ansaldo Energia Reports Hydrogen Breakthrough for Gas Turbine Sequential Combustion Technology
Ansaldo Energia has successfully demonstrated its constant pressure sequential combustion (CPSC) technology—designed for a novel, hydrogen-optimized combustor based on its flagship GT36 H-class gas turbine model—can flexibly operate with up to 100% hydrogen fuel. The breakthrough announced on Feb. 13 marks a major triumph for the FLEX4H2 (or Flexibility for Hydrogen) program, a four-year European […]
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Hydrogen
Germany Will Support 10 GW of New Gas Plants, With Eye Toward Hydrogen
German officials announced a new plan for the country’s power generation, a strategy that includes putting at least 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity up for tenders. Officials on Feb. 5 said the plants would be designed to eventually burn hydrogen at some point between 2035 and 2040, according to Germany’s Economy Ministry. The agency […]
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Coal
Poland Set to End Coal-Fired Power Generation
Poland’s top climate official said the country is preparing to set a date for a complete phase-out of coal-fired power generation, just months after the nation elected a new government that has pledged to support environmental policies of the European Union (EU). Poland, which currently receives about 70% of its electricity from burning coal, and […]
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Nuclear
U.S. Set to Lead Global Research for Nuclear Fusion
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said the U.S. is ready to work with other governments on research and development of nuclear fusion, as part of efforts to produce more carbon-free energy and combat climate change. Kerry made the announcement Dec. 5 at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Fusion has long been […]
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Solar
BayWa r.e. Supporting Solar Power for Agriculture Projects
Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations designed to support agriculture across the European Union (EU) received a boost in late October. BayWa r.e., a major Germany-based renewable energy developer, announced it
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Energy Storage
Major Austrian Utility Optimizing Energy Storage with Battery Analytics Software
Many utilities are recognizing that battery energy storage is a critical part of the transition to cleaner forms of power generation. This is especially true in Europe, where many countries have adopted
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Solar
Europe Ramps Renewables, Looks for New Gas to Reduce Reliance on Russia
European countries have moved quickly to adopt new energy sources after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Governments have reduced imports of Russian-produced energy, with demand for natural gas
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Coal
Winter Demand for Coal, Gas Falls Across EU Despite Energy Concerns
An analysis from an energy research group shows European Union (EU) countries burned less coal and natural gas for power generation than in prior years, despite an ongoing energy crisis driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A study from Ember, a think-tank based in the UK, said coal-fired generation in the EU dropped 27 TWh […]
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Solar
New Report Shows EU Solar Installations Rise Nearly 50%
A new report from industry group SolarPower Europe shows that solar installations in the European Union increased by almost 50% year-over-year in 2022, to a record 41.4 GW of generation capacity. “The numbers are clear. Solar is offering a lifeline amid energy and climate crises,” said Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe. “No other energy […]
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Renewables
Investment Bank ‘Mobilizing’ up to $115 Billion for Renewables, Energy Storage and More in EU
The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) said it will support an initial investment of €30 billion ($30.2 billion) in loans and equity financing to move the European Union (EU) away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner forms of energy over the next five years. The EIB board of directors on Oct. 26 said a […]
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Nuclear
Hungary Adding New VVER-1200 Nuclear Reactors in First for EU
Hungary’s nuclear energy agency has issued a license for construction of two reactors for Paks II, a power generation project first launched in early 2014 as part of an inter-governmental agreement between Hungary and Russia. Officials said Paks II would be the first nuclear plant in the European Union to use Rosatom’s Generation III+ VVER-1200 […]
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Gas
U.S. Agrees to Ramp Up LNG Exports to Europe, Actively Reduce Natural Gas Demand
The Biden administration and the European Commission launched a multi-pronged effort that will dramatically ramp up U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to the European Union (EU) but also reduce overall natural gas demand in the U.S. and EU through “accelerated market deployment” of clean energy measures. The measures are part of strategic energy cooperation […]
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O&M
Monitoring of Power Station Components: Predictive Maintenance in Flexible Plant Operation
An innovative software program, coupled with an experienced team of engineers, allows plant operators to evaluate creep and fatigue stress in components exposed to more frequent cycling, thereby identifying
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Nuclear
Natural Gas and Nuclear Power Are Not ‘Green’ Investments
It is not an over-reaction to state that we are in the midst of a planetary emergency. We face the combined threats of climate, nature loss, and human health pandemics. Of the nine planetary boundaries that
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Nuclear
Nuclear, Natural Gas Included in EU Taxonomy—With Potentially Problematic Conditions
Handing a muted victory to proponents of nuclear and gas, the European Commission (EC) on Feb. 2 adopted a measure that labels some nuclear and gas energy activity as climate-friendly investments. However, it set out strict, potentially limiting technical screening criteria for those activities to qualify, prompting pushback from the nuclear and gas industries. The […]
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International
Nuclear and Natural Gas Taxonomy Battles Brewing in Europe and S. Korea
A leaked draft of the European Commission’s proposal to label some natural gas and nuclear power plants as “transitional” or “green” investments has prompted pushback from some European Union (EU) members. Criticism is also mounting in South Korea, where liquefied natural gas (LNG) was included in its new green taxonomy guidelines—but nuclear was left out. […]
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Hydrogen
Hydrogen Prices Skyrocket Over 2021 Amid Tight Power and Gas Supply
Hydrogen prices across key European countries rose over the course of 2021, primarily driven by gas and power price spikes amid tight supply, while record carbon prices lifted grey hydrogen close to parity with low-carbon hydrogen, analysis from market data and intelligence group ICIS shows. Near-Curve The hydrogen near curve posted the largest gains, as […]
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Hydrogen
Shell Starts Up 10-MW REFHYNE Hydrogen Electrolyzer, Eyes Expansion to 100 MW
Shell Energy has started up a 10-MW polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer facility—one of the largest of its kind in the world—to produce green hydrogen at its Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland refinery in Wesseling, Germany, and it says plans are underway to expand the plant’s capacity to 100 MW. The startup of the electrolyzer […]
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Press Releases
Statement: EU sustainable finance rules would undervalue hydropower
The International Hydropower Association (IHA) has responded to a public consultation by the European Commission on new rules to define sustainable finance. While the association welcomes and supports the need for an EU Taxonomy on sustainable activities in order to drive investment in renewable energy, IHA believes the proposal as drafted “raises serious concerns” for […]
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News
Endesa to Close Two Giant Spanish Coal Plants
Endesa on Dec. 27 formally moved to shutter two massive coal-fired power plants—the 1.4-GW As Pontes plant in A Coruña, Galicia, which is the biggest coal-fired power plant in Spain, and the 1.16-GW
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News
EU Finalizes ‘Green Deal’ for Clean Energy Investment
The European Union (EU) on Dec. 16 announced an agreement among its member states on rules involving the financing of green energy projects. Lawmakers approved a list of technologies and activities that can be classified as green, after disagreement about whether nuclear energy and natural gas should be included. The so-called “Green Deal” is a […]
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News
Poland Pushing Back Against EU Goal to End Coal-Fired Generation
Polish officials have said it is “not possible” for the country to meet the European Union’s (EU’s) goal of cutting net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, and as such the government will continue to
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Markets
The EU’s Power Provisions: Is Texas a Reliable Indicator?
What does the 21st century power market look like? That is the question the European Union (EU) is attempting to answer with the new electricity regulation and revised electricity directive passed at the end