COP17 Climate Change Conference Conclusions

The COP 17 UNFCCC Climate Change Conference concluded on 9 December 2011 in Durban, South Africa. The results caused mixed emotions among the participants of the conference, as well as interested parties worldwide.

Horizon 2020

The European Commission (EC) recently presented a 80 billion euro research funding programme for the decade ““ known as Horizon 2020 ““ to boost research, stimulate innovation and simplify funding procedures for EU-backed projects. The proposal will now be reviewed by the European Parliament and Council, with the aim of adopting it by the end of 2013.

Concentrated Solar Power Gets A Boost From The US

The US Department of Energy will invest $60 million (43.5 million euro) in R&D for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) over the next three years to give a boost to the sector. Rapid technological evolution and favourable regulatory regimes has helped the CSP sector to get onto its feet quickly, nevertheless solar energy still only provides 1% of the global energy consumption. This is largely due to its intermittent nature and low density, as well as the price declines caused by the economic recession and overcapacity.

IEA World Energy Outlook 2011

The International Energy Agency (IEA) published its World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2011 on 9 November 2011. The report’s core message is a warning that the world is locking itself into an insecure, inefficient and high-carbon energy system, and that the window of opportunity to act is not far from closing. The urgency and the scale of the challenge has especially been highlighted in this past year due to the Fukushima nuclear accident, the democracy demonstrations in the Middle East and North Africa, and the rebound in energy demand, which has pushed greenhouse gas emissions to record highs this year.

EC Energy Roadmap 2050

The European Commission published its Energy Roadmap 2050 in December 2011, which sought to investigate how the EU can meet its decarbonisation objectives, while ensuring security of energy supply and competitiveness. The EU is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by between 80% and 95% below 1990 levels by 2050. The roadmap does not focus on setting new targets but presents five so-called “decarbonisation scenarios”, each of which would result in the achievement of the previously stated emissions target. These scenarios are:
1) A High Energy Efficiency scenario
2) A Diversified Supply Technologies scenario
3) A High Renewable Energy Sources scenario
4) A Delayed CCS scenario
5) A Low Nuclear scenario
Each scenario uses a different energy mix, placing different levels of importance on energy efficiency and new technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), with a varying share of renewables. All five scenarios conclude that decarbonisation is possible and indeed that it can prove to be “less costly than current policies in the long run.”
In each of the decarbonisation scenarios, the share of renewable energy rises substantially. The roadmap proclaims that renewables will “move centre stage” and achieve “at least 55% in gross final energy consumption in 2050.” The share of renewables in total energy use could rise to as high as 75%, according to the roadmap, and up to 97% in the share of electricity consumption.
Gas in the Roadmap

Oil And Gas Discoveries In Northern Europe

Nam, a joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil, announced on 9 January the discovery of a gas field in the Netherlands which is estimated to hold 4bn m³ of reserves, according to a statement released by the company. The discovery represents the largest onshore gas discovery in the Netherlands since 1995. According to the Nam statement, extraction from the newly discovered field will last some 15 years.

Danish EU Presidency Priorities

On 1 January 2012, Denmark took over the rotating EU Presidency, succeeding Poland. The Danish government presented a Presidency Programme in Copenhagen on 6 January 2012.