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 […]
Most energy experts are calling 2019 a critical year for Ukraine. If there is no miracle and the good European fairy does not wave her magic financial wand and shower Kiev with gold in the next few months, the rusty pipes of the old Ukrainian gas pipelines will remain useless scrap metal, spoiling the country’s […]
“Whatever’s bad for our Eastern neighbour is good for us!” It looks as though in Warsaw today, the Poles are happy to base their entire national well-being on this slogan. But history has demonstrated many times that mottos and vivid politically-based slogans like this bear no relation to real economic achievements. One exception, perhaps, is […]
It is worth considering the projects linked to exploiting eastern Mediterranean gas reserves in the wider context of competition for dominance of the European gas market. This competition is multifaceted and features attempts at widescale manipulation of information, even by experts; this is aimed not so much at ensuring the projects are implemented as at […]
The point of no return has been reached: on January 25, a government-appointed commission reached an agreement to shut down all of Germany’s coal-fired power plants by 2038 at the latest. Since 2011, Germany has also been heading towards the denuclearization of its energy sector, which should be completed in 2022. This strong push towards greener energy sets an example for other countries, […]
Chevron and ExxonMobil are two major American players on the global oil market. Previously, they seemed to compete with each other at every turn; however, this is no longer the case. Since Donald Trump moved into the Oval Office, Chevron and ExxonMobil have seemed increasingly to be working in unison. Promoters of American Energy Policy Both Chevron and ExxonMobil operate […]
The time for doubt has passed. A couple of years ago, international analysts predicted the impending departure of Russian oil companies from the European markets. Expectations were then replaced by confusion: why weren’t the Russians leaving? This question is in theory no longer current: it is obvious that the Russians are not leaving. On the contrary; […]
It seems that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is being built on the bed of the Baltic Sea, will be finished at any cost,irrespective of the steps the US is taking on sanctions and possible difficulties for theoperating companythat are linked to this. Permission for laying the pipe has not yet been obtained […]
In the context of an increase in negative expectations of a serious crisis developing in the global financial market, ensuring energy security in socially and industrially key markets has become a question fundamental to preserving economic stability. These key markets now comprise East Asia, whose economic nucleus is China, and the European Union market. The […]
In giving up Russian gas for political reasons, Ukraine made the fatal error of not making contingency plans, and is now buying re-exported fuel from Europe at higher cost. Kiev tried to counteract this gross mistake with loud declarations that gas, including shale, would soon start to be extracted from its own deposits. According to […]
The political and economic steps that have been implemented recently to develop cooperation among states in the Caspian region testify to the possibility of forming a new globally significant centre of economic growth in the medium term. Politically, this meant the signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. Economically, there […]
In order to control the specifics of supplies, the European Commission initially tried to obtain a mandate from EU countries for negotiations with Russia on the conditions for building the gas pipeline – but without success. According to EU legislation, these decisions remain with member countries and Brussels only has a consultative voice in this […]
