The theme of Europe’s energy security is a constant irritant in both EU–Russia relations and in relations among European elites. We should probably resign ourselves to the manipulative nature of discussions about European energy security, which are far from the real economic circumstances. With this manipulation in mind, we should focus on economic reality, which […]
European gas production will continue to fall, according to the latest forecasts from the International Energy Agency (IEA). By 2024, analysts expect European output, including Norway’s, to drop by as much as 48 billion cubic metres (bcm) to just 202 bcm. At the same time, the demand for natural gas will continue to grow. According […]
The environment was a crucial theme in Germany’s 2021 election campaign and predictably, the Greens want to make it central to the coalition agreement. What exactly the country’s new energy policy will look like, taking into account the country’s accelerated switch from coal power is however as yet unclear even to ministers themselves. It is […]
The debate over Hormuz is shifting from whether fees are acceptable to whether they could help restore predictable transit. With Europe, Gulf states and Oman exploring possible models, a once-unthinkable option is moving closer to the centre of regional diplomacy. Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the […]
Europe is expanding its nuclear capacity, but its radioactive legacy remains unresolved. With the world’s first deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel only now approaching operation, the conflict between risks measured in millennia and politics shaped by electoral cycles is becoming increasingly visible. At its core, nuclear waste is not merely a technical challenge […]
OPEC+ remains the key coordination mechanism in the global oil market, but its influence no longer seems assured. Disputes over quotas, diverging interests among participants and rising production outside the alliance are gradually changing the rules under which OPEC+ operates. The question is increasingly not whether OPEC+ will formally survive, but how much control it […]
Europe is turning to artificial intelligence to manage the next stage of its energy transition. AI is expected to help integrate more renewable power, ease grid congestion and unlock demand-side flexibility – but the rapid growth of data centres is also creating a new challenge for Europe’s electricity networks. The European energy system is […]
Europe is being urged to become the first “electro-continent,” with a 50% electrification goal for 2040. The Commission wants to raise electricity’s share of final energy consumption from roughly 23% today to 50%, while renewables already supply 47.5% of the EU’s gross electricity consumption. Hitting that goal will still require cheaper power, major grid upgrades, […]
In its quest to diversify its energy sources and strengthen its energy security, the European Union is increasingly looking south. Africa is a logical geopolitical choice: it already meets around 20 per cent of Europe’s gas needs through pipeline supplies from North Africa and LNG from Nigeria. New routes from Nigeria via Algeria and Morocco […]
The European energy transition has entered a new, challenging phase. For a long time, one question took centre stage: how quickly can coal, oil and gas be replaced by renewable energy? Now, a second, more complex problem is coming to the fore. Europe is producing ever more electricity from wind and solar power – but […]
Nuclear energy is back on Europe’s political agenda. After years of closures, disputes and a dominant focus on renewables, a growing bloc of EU leaders now sees nuclear power not as a technology of the past, but as a cornerstone of future energy security. Its main selling point: stable, low-carbon electricity that does not depend […]
The European renewable energy market is entering a new phase. While the number of solar and wind power facilities built has been the key indicator of the energy transition in recent years, the ability of these facilities to operate within an overloaded and volatile power grid is now playing an increasingly important role. Against this […]
Middle East turbulence is pushing European gas prices toward a new stress point and reviving a taboo question: could the EU turn back to cheap Russian energy? While Brussels vows to phase out Russian gas by 2027, the real battle is not only about inflation – it is whether Europe can resist trading long-term geopolitical […]
Europe’s wood pellet industry became a central part of the EU’s move away from coal, but its future is now under pressure from tougher sustainability rules, political scrutiny, and doubts about its climate benefits. As Europe tightens biomass standards after 2027, the future of wood pellets may depend on proving they are truly green. […]
