Electric cars are making a quiet comeback in Europe: by 2025, they had reached a market share of 17.4 per cent in the EU, and as much as 19.1 per cent in Germany. Yet, at 34.5 per cent, hybrids remain clearly in the lead – acting as a bridge between the old and new worlds […]
Renewables
The “30 Renewable Islands for 2030” initiative, unveiled on 30 November 2023, turns 30 islands and island groups from 10 EU countries into real-world testbeds for the energy transition. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all model, it backs each island’s own bottom-up push to break free from fossil fuels and move towards genuine energy independence. When it […]
The North Sea is set to become Europe’s energy and protection zone. In Hamburg, nine countries signed a joint agenda: by 2050, 300 gigawatts of offshore wind power are to be generated in the North Sea, much of which will come from cross-border projects. At the same time, new grid regulations and greater security for […]
In 2025, the European Union crossed a historic threshold. For the first time, electricity generated from wind and solar surpassed output from all fossil fuels combined. Renewables accounted for 30 percent of total EU electricity generation, compared to 29 percent from fossil fuels. Within this shift, solar energy is becoming more prominent with each passing […]
The energy debate in Germany has taken on a new urgency as the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) surges in the polls, challenging the country’s green energy transition. Known for its strong opposition to the Green Party’s and the government’s climate policies, the AfD has managed to sharpen its political profile, capitalizing on growing public concerns over the economic and social costs of Germany’s ambitious energy goals.
With the acceleration of a project to mine lithium – a key metal for electric mobility – in its Jadar region, the small Balkan country of Serbia has been given a chance to become a key player in the European, and also the global economy. At the same time, rarely has any project caused such a powerful public backlash: news of new protests and comments from experts and politicians are appearing in the world media on an almost daily basis. Will Serbia be able to overcome public hostility and move towards becoming a major lithium powerhouse?
Turbulence in politics and the global economy is aggravating the rough edges of the Green Deal, which as well as being a heavy burden for the industries and energy sectors of individual member states could also become an open route to power for far-right political forces
Few doubt the fact that the EU’s brand colour is green. At the end…
The cruel romance between Russian gas suppliers and European consumers reached its peak this year. In early September, just ahead of the winter, Russia’s state-owned Gazprom shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which carries around a third of all Russian gas exports to the EU (almost 15% of the EU’s total gas imports).
“We have decided, as a European Union: We will end our reliance on Russian fossil fuels,” announced EU President Ursula von der Leyen at Princeton University in September 2022. But it seems the EU leader is moving too fast with this statement.
With the warmer months when gas storage facilities are usually filled for the next winter approaching, Europe is struggling to find ways to replace Russian gas with potential alternatives. Attention is naturally turning to Norway, the second largest gas supplier to the continent.
This winter, soaring energy prices have aggravated the economic burden for European businesses and residential customers alike. While solar and wind plants are falling short of satisfying energy needs, another factor has proved to be a shortage of reserves of natural gas and other fuels. Hydrogen could become an alternative major source of green power. […]