Op-ed

Invazia cu totul iresponsabilă a Ucrainei de către Federația Rusă a declanșat în Europa un efort masiv de reducere a dependenței de importurile de gaze naturale rusești. Acesta devine o mișcare către independența energetică și un viitor prietenos cu mediul, în care pot participa toți cetățenii, adesea descumpăniți de incapacitatea de a contribui la rezolvarea greoaielor probleme geopolitice și climatice cu care se confruntă societatea.

Finalul lunii ianuarie a fost marcat de un eveniment a cărui importanță nu trebuie subestimată: demararea negocierilor oficiale pentru aderarea României la Organizația pentru Cooperare și Dezvoltare Economică (OCDE).

“New normal” has become the buzzword of a world still reeling from the Covid-19 outbreak. But as it sought to break through the new normal of lockdowns and restrictions, the 25,000-strong COP26 gathering in Glasgow may have become the latest addition to the “new normal” of climate change negotiations: bold commitments that inspire hope, while their implementation plans ring hollow and seed doubt.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a chain of technologies deployed to capture, transport and store CO2 away from the atmosphere, mitigating its warming effect on the climate. For each step in the CCS process, a range of technologies has been developed and tested for different industries and operating conditions, making CCS a complex value chain rather than a single, “off-the-shelf” technology as it is sometimes portrayed

In the European Union’s pathway to climate neutrality, decarbonised molecules such as hydrogen will contribute to eliminating ‘stubborn emissions’ in hard-to-abate sectors – e.g., high-temperature heat and feedstock in industry, aviation and long-haul shipping, and potentially large-scale district heating and long-term electricity storage.

“New normal” has become the buzzword of a world still reeling from the Covid-19 outbreak. But as it sought to break through the new normal of lockdowns and restrictions, the 25,000-strong COP26 gathering in Glasgow may have become the latest addition to the “new normal” of climate change negotiations: bold commitments that inspire hope, while their implementation plans ring hollow and seed doubt.

Creșterile fără precedent ale prețurilor energiei din ultimele luni au generat discuții aprinse despre cauze, designul pieței de energie electrică, prețul carbonului și dependența de importurile de gaze naturale. Răspunsul formulat până acum de legiuitori pentru rezolvarea acestor probleme (în principal, plafonări de prețuri și subvenții) nu oferă decât soluții de avarie, de termen scurt, care nu rezolvă disfuncționalitățile structurale ce pot duce la repetarea unor astfel de situații.

“Energy markets cannot be trusted, either for affordable prices or security of supply.” Closely related, this cliché is probably the easiest to notice in policy and regulation.

This paper uses Romania as a case study to illustrate the SEE situation. First, this article briefly summarises the general European context and the framework through which member states will cooperate in the area of energy policy. Second, it showcases the energy and climate strategies of Romania. Third, it turns to some of the main barriers that the country is currently facing in reforming its energy markets. The final part of the article summarises the findings, while also suggesting some avenues that may be pursued to overcome the challenges of decarbonisation in SEE.

One of the most important outcomes of this legislative act is the requirement for governments to produce Integrated National Energy and Climate Plans. These plans must elaborate on the main priorities, strategies and actions to be taken within a 10-year period, covering all the five main areas of the Energy Union (security of supply, the internal energy market, energy efficiency, decarbonisation, and research and innovation).

One of the most important outcomes of this legislative act is the requirement for governments to produce Integrated National Energy and Climate Plans. These plans must elaborate on the main priorities, strategies and actions to be taken within a 10-year period, covering all the five main areas of the Energy Union (security of supply, the internal energy market, energy efficiency, decarbonisation, and research and innovation).

This analysis details the relevance of each component in the mix, explaining how gas shortages are usually dealt with, and presents the next regulatory steps essential to cover gas demand.

In a market economy, the term hub generally refers to the intersection of several commercial routes, where an abundance of merchandise from various sources prompts the closing of many deals “on the spot,” transparently, with amounts and prices known to all traders present.

This article is part of a series of three called Energy Poverty Today, presenting in a nutshell the main concepts and challenges of energy poverty.

Grid losses are a matter of grid stability and therefore a matter of national priority. Every country in the world would want to include this matter amongst its critical governance topics and address it through its policies and stakeholders’ actions

Most of the world relies on electricity systems build around 50 years ago. These are inefficient and cannot offer an appropriate response to today´s urgent global challenges. The estimated investment requirements in energy infrastructure are $13 trillion for the next 20 years. This poses an eminent need and opportunity to shift towards a low carbon, efficient and clean energy system. Smart grids will be a strong enabler of this transition.

Most of the world relies on electricity systems build around 50 years ago. These are inefficient and cannot offer an appropriate response to today´s urgent global challenges. The estimated investment requirements in energy infrastructure are $13 trillion for the next 20 years. This poses an eminent need and opportunity to shift towards a low carbon, efficient and clean energy system. Smart grids will be a strong enabler of this transition.

The Economy Ministry published in October the draft law for mineral, petroleum, and hydro-mineral resources. The document includes a much anticipated new royalties’ framework for the upstream O&G sector.

Romania´s petroleum tax regime is under review, with lingering uncertainty about its future design. The article discusses strategic considerations of this review, in light of the country expected (but equally unclear and overdue) long-term energy strategy.

Wind turbines, PV panels and hi-power batteries are pillars of the transition to clean electricity generation and low-emission transports. Confidence in their future costs reductions is paramount for both investors and policy makers. But while such investments are expected to grow massively in the coming years, constraints of a different kind will have to be kept in mind.

Is this a turning point towards substantially higher oil prices? Most likely not. The same rebalancing mechanism of shale oil producers kicking in at higher crude prices will be prompted. However, we may well see a longer-lived equilibrium around $60 a barrel of Brent, which can make everyone happy for a couple of years.

How much will we pay for natural gas in 2017?

Romania does offer potential for becoming a regional gas hub. Also, gas exploration, production and transportation networks still need innovative approaches, reform and development.

The adoption of a system that will allow a step-by-step liberalization of energy prices has proved to be an inspired measure, as Romanians would not have been ready for a sudden, direct shift to a free market. The ongoing debates in the Romanian society on vulnerable consumers emphasize just that

A good deal of the political and media environment in Romania continues to promote or to dwell in confusion when it comes to the Romanian state´s gain from petroleum activities, popularly known as “the regime of oil royalties”.

2015 will be the year of new gas transport projects, which are to connect at regional level the Southern Gas Corridor to Central Europe´s North South Corridor. Domestically, the Black Sea coast will have to be linked to the National Transport System.

COP21 (The Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC) will be the event of this fall and end of the year in environmental diplomacy. The intention is to achieve a “universal and legally binding agreement” to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in order to keep global warming below 2° C from pre-industrial levels, beyond which it is presumed that the effects are irreversible.

The story of shale gas in Romania has somewhat been that of a fight. Chevron has had to deal with public opposition and outright protests, including clashes with police; mis- and dis-information, and a lack of understanding about the fracking procedure and its risks; overwhelming bureaucracy and a highly volatile and confusing legal procedure when it comes to unconventional gas drilling in the country, even though no moratorium was ever officially instated, like in neighboring Bulgaria.