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COGEN
Europe
News Archive 2005
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| 13/12/2005 |
Commission
adopts Biomass Action Plan
The
Commission adopted the Biomass Action Plan (BAP) on Wednesday
7 December 2005. The main objective of the plan is to double the
use of bio-energy sources (wood, wastes and agricultural crops)
in the EU's energy mix by 2010. Currently the EU meets about 4%
of its energy needs from biomass. The BAP outlines 31 measures
to promote biomass in heating and cooling, electricity production
and transport (biofuels), such as:
EU
legislation in 2006 on the use of RES, including biomass for heating
and cooling;
a possible revision of the biofuels directive (2006) which might
set national targets for the share of biofuels and would oblige
fuel suppliers to use biofuels;
national biomass action plans to be developed by the Member States
(three Member States (the Netherlands, Germany and the UK) already
have or are preparing national biomass action plans);
development of an industry-led "Biofuel technology platform";
and
research into second-generation biofuels.
The direct costs would be around 9 billion euros per year. This
is equivalent to an increase of about 1.5 cents per litre of petrol
and 0.1 cents per kWh of electricity. Please find the link to
the report in three languages (German, French and English) here. |
| 08/12/2005 |
COGEN
Europe attends the EUFORES Diner Debate on the proposed "Directive
on Renewable Heating and Cooling".
COGEN Europe was represented at this
well attended event, held in the European Parliament on Tuesday
6 December.
The speakers included heavyweight MEPs Metchild Rothe and Peter
Liese, both from Germany while Luxembourg MEP Claude Turmes was
amongst those attending the debate.
It transpired from the event that there would be no call for binding
targets for renewable heat and cooling, as there is nowadays a
general reluctance in most European circles to impose targets.
The proposed directive does not call for a harmonised support
mechanism as the renewable community is unwilling to give up some
its most successful support mechanisms and appears to be rather
cool on the idea of developing certificate schemes, with Mrs Rothe
saying that they were to her knowledge unsuccessful.
COGEN Europe is actively monitoring the developments in this area
and is engaging with the main protagonists actively. The upcoming
Biomass CHP Conference of 23 January will be a good opportunity
to better integrate the reflections on renewables and cogeneration. |
| 05/12/2005 |
Energy
Council meeting focuses on Energy Efficiency
European Energy ministers, meeting
in Brussels on 1 December held a debate on climate change and
sustainable energy ahead of the Commission's Action Plan on Energy
Efficiency and Review of the European Trading Scheme.
The ministers welcomed the Commission's Green Paper on Energy
Efficiency and there was consensus around the table on the need
for further efforts in the area. The Council urged the Commission
to develop further the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme and
create the proper framework conditions for the deployment of low
or zero emissions energy generation.
While a wide range of measures and instruments were considered,
the ministers stressed the need to "ensure effective application"
existing legislation, a thinly veiled reference to the Dutch reluctance
to implement the provisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings
Directive. The Dutch minister indicated that his government was
weighing the different implementation options and would soon decide
on the path to take.
Ministers additionally called for the "early adoption"
of the Energy Services and End-use Energy Efficiency Directive,
while pressing for the swift implementation of measures under
the Eco-design of Energy Using Products Directive (2005/32/EC).
Click here
for full Council Press Release. |
| 02/12/2005 |
European
Parliament calls for EU action on renewable heating and cooling
At the ITRE Committee meeting (the industry and energy committee
of the European Parliament) MEP Mechtild Rothe (Germany, Socialist
Party) presented on 29 November a draft resolution in which she
called for EU legislation on renewable heating and cooling. This
would be the best way to use the enormous potential of RES, to
create the necessary market conditions and to ensure the share
of RES in the total energy consumption. According the report,
the EU should set a binding target for 25% of renewable heating
and cooling by 2020. Nationally binding targets for 2020, which
take into account current differences in the share of renewable
heating and cooling in the Member States and the potential of
each of the relevant technologies, should ensure that the EU target
of 25% is attained. The report also calls for a Europe-wide system
for monitoring use of renewables for heating and cooling and for
setting requirements for new buildings.
Please find the report here.
The report will now be discussed and voted on in the ITRE Committee
and then go to plenary session. |
| 24/11/2005 |
European
Commission has to assess final version of British NAP
On 23 November 2005, the First Chamber of the European Court of
Justice (ECJ) asked the European Commission to assess the final
version of the British national allocation plan (NAP). This spring,
the Commission had rejected the final NAP version claiming that
the submission deadline had been passed and declared the earlier
submitted provisional NAP version as the valid document. Unless
the European Commission bring an appeal before the EJC, the Brussels
Institution is now obliged to assess the final version of the
British NAP.
With this ruling the ECJ made clear that national governments
can amend their NAPs after the deadline for submission has run
out and even after the relevant trading period has begun. The
power of the Commission to reject a NAP for content-related reasons
(Annex III of the Emissions Trading Directive) is not affected.
ECJ
Ruling |
| 24/11/2005 |
European
Commission clarifies calculation method for 2010 RES-E target
The European Commission has declared that EU Member States must
try to reach indicative 2010 targets, as set out in the 2001 Renewable
Energy Electricity Directive (RES-E), based on overall consumption
figures in 2010. An interpretation was asked by EREF, the European
Renewable Energies Federation, which feared that Austria might
seek to rely on a footnote in the RES-E Directive’s Annex
that would partially free it from this obligation. EREF asked
the European Commission to clarify that Austria cannot revert
back to consumption figures of 1997 for the calculation of the
RES consumption share in 2010. The Commission declared that “With
regards to your request relating to the interpretation of the
Austrian footnote on the Annex of Directive 2001/77/EC, without
prejudice of an authentic interpretation to be made, eventually,
by the Court of Justice, the Commission’s opinion is that
the footnotes to the Annex are not considered to have legal effects
as to the correct method for calculating the reference value.
It is therefore in the view of the Commission that the consumption
figure in 2010 must be used for the calculation of the RES consumption
in 2010.” See the EREF press release here. |
| 17/11/2005 |
European
Parliament is ambitious on combating Climate Change
The
European Parliament (EP) adopted an own-initiative report on winning
the battle against climate change, enabling it to express its
opinion with a view to the United Nations Climate Change Conference
in Montreal (28 Nov - 9 Dec). The EP report also gives an overview
of various actions to be undertaken at European field for the
coming years. The main recommendations put forward are:
emission reductions of 30% by 2020 and between 60-80% by 2050;
a global partnership is needed to combat
climate change, including the US;
vigorous promotion of R&D for sustainable
energy technologies and an end to "perverse incentives"
such as fossil fuels subsidies;
binding targets needed to reach 40% energy
savings potential;
targets to be set for annual reductions
in energy intensity in the order of 2.5-3%;
need for a Crash Programme to promote research
and innovation in support of sustainable energy;
introduction of a European ecotax by 2009;
extending the scope of the Buildings Directive
and update the Biofuels Directive to include bio-flexifuels;
need for a Directive on heating and cooling
similar to the biofuels proposal;
European Institutions to set example by
limiting GHG emissions in their own activities (eg. multiple locations
of EP).
Please find the EP press release here
and the full EP report here. |
| 17/11/2005 |
COGEN
Europe publishes position paper on grid connection charging
On 17 November 2005, COGEN Europe has
published a position paper on grid connection charging for decentralised
power producers. Next to insufficient support mechanisms and administrative
hurdles, grid connection often represents an important barrier
to the wider use of cogeneration. “Above all, there needs
to be more transparency on how connection charges are calculated
in order to create a non-discriminatory environment for independent
power generators”, Frank Knecht, Head of Public Affairs at
COGEN Europe, says.
COGEN Europe recommends following a “shallow” charging
philosophy when connecting distributed generators to the electricity
networks. Under this approach, generators pay only for the equipment
needed to make the physical connection of their generation plant
to the network. In cases where network reinforcement is necessary
and pure shallow connection charging is not considered acceptable,
COGEN Europe proposes to implement a set of detailed rules, in
order to prevent discriminatory practices and, ultimately, anti-competitive
behaviour.
COGEN
Europe Position Paper |
| 16/11/2005 |
Inquiry
identifies serious malfunctions in European energy markets
Member
States must implement more effectively the market opening measures
required under the EU’s gas and electricity Directives. This
is the main conclusion of the ‘Report on the functioning
of the Internal Market in electricity and gas’, which was
adopted by the European Commission on 15 November. It confirms
that cross-border competition is not yet sufficiently developed
to provide customers with a real alternative from the nationally-established
suppliers. Key indicators in this respect are the absence of price
convergence across the EU and the low level of cross-border trade.
Please find the full Commission report here.
According to the early results of a sector enquiry launched by
the European Commission in June 2005 European energy markets are
not yet functioning on a competitive basis and there are still
a number of serious malfunctions in how gas and electricity is
being sold to industrial consumers. These preliminary findings
highlight that:
gas and electricity markets in many member states continue to
be concentrated, creating scope for incumbent operators to influence
prices and set them at artificially high levels;
the existence of an inadequate level of unbundling of network
and supply activities for both gas and electricity;
barriers to the cross-border supply of energy prevent the development
of a truly integrated EU market; and
there is a lack of price transparency which aggravates the mistrust
by industry and consumers over how these are determined.
The
inquiry will be completed in the second half of 2006.
Find the press release of the European Commission here |
| 08/11/2005 |
European
Biomass CHP Conference 2006
With
support from DG TREN, COGEN Europe is pleased to announce details
of the European Biomass CHP Conference 2006 which will take place
23 January 2006 in Brussels.
EU Member States are currently struggling to meet their national
renewables targets partly due to the lack of increase in the biomass
contribution. With the expected EU Action Plan on Biomass the
European Commission aims to give impetus to the use and role of
biomass. Also the Cogeneration Directive, to be transposed in
February 2006, will provide another incentive to further promote
the use of biomass CHP. The Conference will provide the opportunity
to promote the use of biomass CHP and will explore further:
Latest EU regulatory, technology and research developments
Barriers to biomass CHP
Financial support measures available
Examples of best practice biomass CHP
Identifying opportunities to further the uptake of biomass CHP
|
| 18/10/2005 |
First
meeting of the Berlin Forum
At
the initiative of the European Commission, the Berlin Forum (officially
called Forum on Fossil Fuels) gathers on 19-20 October in Berlin
and brings for thee first time European Commission, Member States,
stakeholders and energy experts together. This meeting should
allow an initial exchange of views and analyses on the prospects
of the security of supply of fossil fuels. The aim is to turn
the Berlin Forum into an annual structured dialogue with oil,
gas and solid fuels industries. As part of the response of the
Commission to the oil price increase, the meeting in Berlin will
open a stakeholders’ consultation process on possible measures
to be taken in the oil sector.
The
Forum will be opened by Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Energy,
and its host, the German State Secretary of Economy, Georg Wilhelm
Adamowitsch.
With the creation of the Forum on Fossil Fuels, the European Commission
has completed the spectrum of consultation bodies bringing together
the EU and stakeholders in energy markets. The other three are
the Madrid Forum for natural gas, the Florence Forum for electricity
and the new Amsterdam Forum on sustainable energy (energy efficiency
and renewables), launched last week.
The European Commission has recently presented an action plan
to respond to the oil price increase, the three last points of
which are more specifically connected to the new Forum on fossil
fuels:
manage demand for energy;
increase reliance on alternative forms of energy;
increase the transparency and predictability of the oil market;
convince producers to increase the supply of oil and gas; and
react effectively to emergency situations with respect to oil
stocks.
For
further information on the Berlin Forum (programme), please
click here.
|
| 18/10/2005 |
First
meeting of the Amsterdam Forum
The first meeting of the Amsterdam
Forum (officially: Sustainable Energy Forum) took place on 13-14
October in Amsterdam and was the first time that Member States,
the European Parliament, the European Commission, industry and
stakeholders in the field of sustainable energy gathered. COGEN
Europe was also present.
The
Amsterdam Forum is modelled on the Florence and Madrid Forums
for electricity and gas, where Member States, regulators, industry
and consumers discuss common obstacles to the creation of the
internal market. It will ensure that renewable energy and energy
efficiency are seen in connection and are mutually supportive
to reach the objectives of environmental concerns, competitiveness,
an internal market for electricity, and security of supply.
The meeting focused on the a draft Communication on Support
Schemes for Renewable Energy Sources (not published yet) and
on the Green Paper for Energy Efficiency, (tabled last
June, a consultation ending in March 2006 and on the basis of
this outcome, the European Commission will issue an Action Plan
in 2006).
On Friday the EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs declared
on Friday that:
Member states favour national energy efficiency plans - one
proposal in the June green paper - but would prefer 3-5 yearly
reports instead of annual reports, he went on. There is "clear
support" for more actions to improve energy efficiency
of appliances.
Turning to renewable energy, Mr Piebalgs said he detected a
clear majority in favour of maintaining different financial
support schemes and reiterated his belief that it would be "premature
to propose a harmonised" EU system. Even so, "we need
to coordinate the existing schemes on [the] European level",
he said.
The European Commission is due to publish several important
documents over the coming months:
an Action Plan on Biomass, expected very soon;
a Communication on Support Schemes for RES, expected in the
coming weeks; and
proposals for a more ambitious policy orientation for biofuels
in transport, early next year.
Please find the speech of Mr Piebalgs here.
For further information on the Amsterdam Forum (background information,
programme and proceedings), click here
|
| 13/10/2005 |
EIE
call is published
The Call for Proposals and the Annual Work Programme 2005 of the
‘Intelligent Energy – Europe’ Programme have been
published!
You can download them here.
If
you are not yet familiar with the programme, you may find a two-page
flier
on the new Call helpful. The slides presented at last weeks European
Info Day in Brussels are also essential reading for potential
applicants. They can be found here.
Please do not forget that additional Info Days will be organised
in many countries. A comprehensive list can be found on here |
| 05/10/2005 |
The
Greenpeace energy revolution scenario
Greenpeace
and the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, Department of Systems
Analysis and Technology Assessment of the German Aerospace Center
(DLR), have published on 27 September 2005 a blueprint for the
EU energy supply that shows how Europe can lead the way to a sustainable
pathway to a clean energy future. Their “Energy Revolution:
A sustainable pathway to a clean energy future for Europe”
proposes a scenario demonstrates that phasing out nuclear power
and massively reducing CO2 emissions is possible.
The
two organisations foresee an increased use of CHP that will promote
the supply system’s energy conversion efficiency. Fossil
fuels for cogeneration are increasingly being substituted by biomass
and geothermal energy. The availability of District Heating networks
is a key precondition for achieving a high share of decentralised
CHP. In the long term, the decreasing heat demand and the large
potential for producing heat directly from renewable energy sources
will limit the further expansion of CHP.
Please find the full report here. |
| 30/09/2005 |
European
Parliament call for 25% renewable target
(Euractiv) In a parliamentary vote on 29 September 2005, MEPs
restated their call for an ambitious mandatory target for the
share of renewable energy in the EU's energy mix for the period
after 2010. In a non-binding report, Parliament emphasises that
a target of at least 25% by 2020 has been proven to be feasible.
MEPs have called on the Commission to come up with new legislative
initiatives in the area of renewables in order to put an end to
market distortions penalising the production of renewable energy.
The report gives a strategic overview on where renewable policies
stand in Europe and suggests focusing on several areas including
heating and cooling, with MEPs calling for an approach that combines
increased energy efficiency with the use of low density energies
like the 'waste' energy from electricity production (cogeneration)
or solar thermal collectors. |
| 29/09/2005 |
Commissioner
Piebalgs puts emphasis on energy demand and alternative energy
sources.
Speaking on 28 September to the European
Parliament, Energy Commissioner Piebalgs presented his 5-point
action plan to counter rising oil prices.
He stressed the importance of accelerating the EU's energy efficiency
strategy and increasing the use of alternative energies, while
improving the transparency and predictability of the oil markets,
increasing the supply of oil and gas, and streamlining the EU's
oil stocks.
The MEPs insisted in their first reactions that the EU should
do more and tackle the structural problem of Europe's fossil fuel
dependence. In a resolution to be voted on 29 September, MEPs
propose to make the EU "the world's least fossil fuel-dependent
and most energy efficient economy by 2020".
Link
to text of Commissioner's speech |
| 23/09/2005 |
New
feed-in tariffs for CHP electricity in Slovakia
From 1 January 2006 cogenerated electricity will benefit from
new feed-in tariffs. Exported electricity will fetch higher prices
according to the new Regulation 2/2005 from the Regulatory Office
for the Network Industries.
Export prices for electricity from CHP plants will vary according
to the technology (and in some case the fuel) used. While electricity
from stirling engines will receive 3000 Sk/MWh, electricity from
natural gas-fired internal combustion engines will get 2050 Sk/MWh
and electricity from new combined cycles will fetch 1950 Sk/MWh.
1 EUR = 38.5 Sk
In addition to the new feed-in tariffs, Governmental Decree 124/2005
concerning the rules for the internal national market for electricity
gives a clear methodology for connection costs to both the transmission
and distribution networks. |
| 23/09/2005 |
Overview
of the FP6 Info Day
Please find here
an overview of the fourth and last call for proposals under the
sixth Framework Programme for RTD 2002-2006 (FP6) as well as all
the presentations that have been given on the FP6 Information
Day on 21 September 2005, organised by DG TREN of the European
Commission. |
| 19/09/2005 |
More
COGEN CHALLENGE information material published
Two new pieces of information material to the COGEN CHALLENGE
have been published today. A
power-point presentation and a
two-page summary introduce into the 18-months campaign that
will be launched in January 2006.
COGEN CHALLENGE is a European information campaign on small-scale
cogeneration and envisages i.a. the establishment of five regional
support offices, a series of training seminars, the wide-spread
distribution of basic information material and the documentation
of 1,000 small-scale cogeneration projects. COGEN CHALLENGE is
carried out by a consortium of nine project partners under the
leadership of COGEN Europe. |
| 16/09/2005 |
Announcement
of the Working Group on CHP from RES
COGEN Europe will organise the next meeting of the internal Working
Group on CHP from RES on Friday 21 October 2005. Please note that
this meeting will take place in the office of TOTAL in Paris,
France (in conjunction with the 14th European Biomass Conference
and Exhibition). The meeting will be chaired by Mr Michel Raskin
from COGEN Vlaanderen and the aim is to present and discuss the
Work Plan 2006 with key issues and actions. Participation is open
to our Members and if you are interested, please contact Stefan
Craenen. The invitation and draft agenda can be found here.
Please click here
to register. |
| 08/09/2005 |
China
and the EU sign a partnership on climate change
On
5 September China and the EU in Beijing signed a partnership that
mainly covers clean coal technology with the aim of demonstrating,
in China and the EU, advanced 'zero-emissions' coal technology
by 2020. Under the agreement, the EU would give China the technology
and help invest in a new power stations. Another objective for
2020 is to reduce the cost of key energy technologies and promote
their deployment and dissemination. The areas of energy efficiency,
renewable and hydrogen have been identified for technical co-operation. |
| 07/09/2005 |
Intelligent
Energy – Europe: European Info Day on the 2005 Call for Proposals
The
2005 Call for Proposals of the ‘Intelligent Energy –
Europe’ (IEE) Programme of the EU will be published later
this month, opening a 4-month period during which applications
for IEE co-funding can be submitted. In total, approximately 50
million Euros of financial support will be made available for
European projects, events and new local or regional agencies,
which promote energy efficiency and the wider use of renewable
energy sources. In order to provide stakeholders with all necessary
information and advice on how to apply for IEE co-funding, the
Intelligent Energy Executive Agency (IEEA) of the European Commission
organises a European Info Day on Friday 7 October 2005 in Brussels.
You will also have the opportunity to meet and network with colleagues
from across Europe, and to learn from the coordinators of successful
proposals. Participation at this event is free of charge. More
information and a registration form can be found here. |
| 07/09/2005 |
Announcement
of the Working Group on Small and Medium-size CHP
COGEN
Europe will organise the next meeting of the internal Working
Group on Small and Medium-size CHP on Friday 30 September. The
meeting will take place in our office in Brussels and will be
chaired by Mr Jacques Chauland from Dalkia France. The aim is
to identify issues for further action and draft a Work Plan for
2006. Participation is open to our Members and if you are interested,
please contact Stefan
Craenen. The invitation and draft agenda can be found here. |
| 07/09/2005 |
New
Commission five-point plan to react to the surge in oil prices
The
Commission proposed a five-point plan presented to deal with the
current very high oil prices as they have an impact on the welfare
of EU citizens but on the economic growth and thus the attainment
of its EU’s Lisbon objectives. Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner
for Energy, said: “The Commission’s energy policy has
for some time now focused on a series of measures to react to
the high oil prices. Europe leads the world in providing an intelligent,
coherent and environmentally sound response to this challenge.
However, given current prices and the negative effect that this
is having on EU citizens, we need to redouble our efforts”.
The following points are set out:
1.
Reducing demand for energy
2.
Increase reliance on other forms of energy
3.
Increase transparency and predictability of oil markets
4.
Increase the supply of oil and gas
5.
React effectively to emergency situations with respect to oil
stocks
A
summary of the plan can be found here. |
| 10/08/2005 |
Joint
Statement on the CHP Directive
The European Chemical Industires Association
(CEFIC), the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI),
the European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration (COGEN
Europe), and the International Federation of Industrial Energy
Consumers (IFIEC Europe) provide input jointly on the implementation
process of the European CHP Directive and voice their concerns
on the paper on reference values presented by the consultants
to the Technical Committee on 1 July 2005.
To download the statement click here. |
| 25/07/2005 |
Publication
of 'Overview of CHP in Europe'
This new report, free to members (€80 to non-members) gives
a brief overview of CHP in each of the EU-25 Member States as
well as Bulgaria, Croatia, Norway, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro,
Switzerland and Turkey. The objective of this study report is
to give a clear and concise snapshot of the situation for CHP
in European countries, thereby reflecting the very diverse national
current state and future outlooks for CHP.
More information: www.cogen.org/publications/reports_and_studies.htm |
| 25/07/2005 |
The
European Cogeneration Reviews for Belgium and Turkey are published
today.
These are available for free to all members two months ahead of
publication to non-members. (Non-members pay €80 per review).
Reviews already published include Spain, Ireland, Greece, France,
United Kingdom and Denmark. They give full and up to date information
on the cogeneration sector particular to these countries.
More information: www.cogen.org/publications/reports_and_studies.htm |
| 25/07/2005 |
EU
leaders want to promote low carbon technologies in China
According to a leaked document, the UK Presidency explores the
possibility to set up an EU-China Partnership on Climate Change
and the Security of Energy Supply, which shall be launched at
the EU-China summit on 5 September 2005 in Beijing. The partnership
shall “in particular aim to realise the benefits provided
by low carbon technologies” and shall meet three main objectives
by 2020:
- Develop
the technology to move towards zero emissions coal power
- Help
China to meet its national goal of halving the energy intensity
- Halve
the cost of key sustainable technologies
The
European delegation will be headed by the President of the European
Council Tony Blair and includes the High Representative Javier
Solana and Commission President José Barroso. Among other
initiatives, they will try to adopt together with the Chinese
leadership an “EU-China Action Plan on Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energies”. The measures that are envisaged
seem rather vague at this stage and aim primarily to establish
closer contacts between both sides. Fields of co-operation for
the “use of alternative sources of energy including cogeneration
and renewable energies” shall be identified, the document
reads. Industry shall be able to contribute to this process
by participating at a biennial conference on EU-China energy
co-operation.
Read
the full document
|
| 22/07/2005 |
Greenpeace:
Decentralized energy key for sustainable energy future
On
19 July 2005, Greenpeace UK issued a report on the need to decentralize
power production in order to ensure the sustainability of the
energy supply in the United Kingdom.
The authors point out that the British debate “routinely
overlooks an issue that is key to our rising emissions –
the huge wastage inherent in our centralised electricity system”.
According to the report only 22% of the energy produced in centralized
thermal power plants is actually utilized by the end-consumer.
61.5% is lost through inefficient generation and heat wastages,
another 3.5% through transmission and distribution, and further
13% through inefficient end-use, Greenpeace UK says.
Decentralized energy production through cogeneration and renewable
energy technologies, would not only slash CO2 emissions, but also
enhance energy security, drive technological innovation and save
consumers money in the longer term, according the report.
Greenpeace
UK calls on the British Government to implement ten measures,
including a ban on the construction of non-cogeneration based
fossil-fuel power plants, a taxation on waste heat, an obligation
for utilities to purchase DG surplus electricity, and a requirement
for all new buildings to incorporate DG technologies.
Read
the full report. |
| 20/07/2005 |
New
COGEN Europe Member
COGEN
Europe would like to welcome it's new member Binkus
s.r.l.
Binkus is an Energy Saving Company that installs gas microturbines
and being the owner of the equipement sells electical energy and
hot water to its customers |
| 19/07/2005 |
Commission
launches “Sustainable Energy Campaign”
On
18 July 2005, the European Commission has launched a four-year
public awareness campaign on sustainable energy. In line with
the economic orientation of Commission President José Barroso,
Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs described the aims of the
campaign exclusively in terms of boosting growth and competitiveness.
The main focus of the campaign is on renewables-based electricity
generation, bio-fuels for transport, and energy performance of
buildings. The industrial sector with its huge savings potential
is entirely missing.
Among a series of achievable benchmarks, the €3.7 million
campaign seeks to deliver: 450 new biomass-fueled cogeneration
plants, 10 million residences to reduce energy consumption by
30-40% compared to actual consumption, and 5 million inspections
and assessments of heating systems.
Campaign
website (http://www.sustenergy.org/) |
| 18/07/2005 |
Share
of cogeneration could rise to 28% by 2030, EEA says
The implementation of the Cogeneration
Directive and the increased use of biomass in CHP plants, can
raise the share of electricity from CHP in total gross electricity
production from 12.6% in 2000 to 28% in 2030, the European Environment
Agency says.
In
its report on “Climate change and a European low-carbon energy
system” the Copenhagen-based agency assesses GHG reduction
pathways made feasible by global action and a transition to a
low-carbon energy system in Europe by 2030. The scenario which
assumes a 28% CHP share shows that GHG emission reductions in
the magnitude of 40% compared to the baseline scenario for 2030
are possible. By 2030, the average efficiency values for non-cogenerated
thermal power production could rise to 50.6%, if major improvements
take place and CCGT largely replaces conventional coal. Combined
heat and power production already now reaches efficiency values
of typically 85%, the EEA underlines. Moreover, the authors stress
that cogeneration plants are often located close to where the
heat can be consumet. By thus limiting transmission and distribution
losses the efficiency is further improved. The EEA has announced
to publish a more detailed report with the underlying assumption
for the scenario calculations during 2005.
Full
report |
| 15/07/2005 |
G8:
World leaders agree to tackle man-made temperature rise
The G8 summit in Gleneagles finished
without neither the assent of the United States to ratify the
Kyoto Protocol nor of large developing countries to sign up to
specific greenhouse gas reduction targets. “This is never
going to happen”, Tony Blair later said at a press conference.
Still, the UK Prime Minister achieved his goal to integrate the
United States and countries such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico
and South Africa in the international discussion on climate change
strategies. For the first time in many years, the United States
signed a declaration that clearly stressed the link between burning
fossil fuels and rising temperatures. Equally, the industrialized
developing countries agreed that they also have to take action
in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The jointly adopted “Plan of Action” puts improvements
to energy efficiency at the top. Without specifically mentioning
combined heat and power production, the document states: “We
need to capitalise on all the opportunities available to improve
the efficiency along the entire process chain, from extraction,
to energy generation and transmission”. Tony Blair announced
that the leading nations of the world would convene in November
2005 for discussing further steps be taken.
Read
the official G8 statement on climate change. |
| 15/07/2005 |
Energy
efficiency is key in combating climate change, Mandil says
Addressing the G8 summit participants,
the IEA Executive Director Claude Mandil urged world leaders to
put energy efficiency on top of their agenda of their combat against
climate change. Mandil said that long-term solutions such as increased
R&D spending for technological breakthroughs are justified.
On the other hand, politicians should take steps for the shorter
term: “Most important [is], that energy efficiency improvements
reach again the pace they achieved in the 1970s and 1980s”,
he stated.
The IEA chief pointed out, that internal scenario calculations
have shown impressive CO2 reduction potentials (50 billion tons
by 2030), if energy efficiency improves, and the share of nuclear
and renewables slightly increases. Mandil also declared energy
efficiency to be a policy with “double or triple dividends”.
“While reducing CO2 emissions, it improves energy security
of supply as well and, when available at zero or negative costs,
it contributes to economic growth.”
Read
the full statement. |
| 13/07/2005 |
FP6
Call for proposals now open
On Friday 8 July 2005 the Directorate
General for Energy and Transport (DG TREN) has published its fourth
and last call for proposals in the 6th Framework Programme for
Research, Technology Development and Demonstration (2002-2006)
(FP6). This call has a budget of 214M€ and includes RTD activities
in the Thematic Priority 'Sustainable Energy Systems'.
The
closing date of this call will be 22 December 2005 for
‘Sustainable Energy Systems’.
In the framework of this Call for Proposals, DG TREN is planning
to hold an Information Day on 21 September 2005 in Brussels
(date to be confirmed). The aim of this event, which will also
be transmitted via Internet, is to inform potential applicants
about the open RTD areas in this call and to clarify possible
questions on e.g. scope, structure, content, evaluation criteria
and procedures.
For further information on this call for proposal please visit
the CORDIS
website |
| 23/06/2005 |
Green
Paper
On 22 June 2005, the European Commission sadopted the Green
Paper on Energy Efficiency that aims at identifying cost-effective
savings in the magnitude of 20% of the EU’s energy consumption
by 2020. The achievement of this goal shall strengthen the competitivness
of the European econmy, help to comply with the Kyoto obligations
and support the security of energy supply. The Commission plans
to undertake a staholder consultation and to propose already in
December 2005 an Action Plan to the Council of Ministers. |
| 23/06/2005 |
Fourth
call for proposals expected under the sixth Framework Programme
for RTD 2002-2006 (FP6).
The
European Commission will soon publish a call for proposals. The
focus of FP6 will be on short and medium term actions in the area
of Research, Development, and Demonstration of New Technologies.
The call will be open until December 2005. The thematic areas
of the call include cost-effective supply of renewables, grid
issues, polygeneration, eco-buildings, CONCERTO II (concrete initiatives
of local communities) and promotion and dissemination.
More information can be found on: http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/home.cfm
Please find the outcome of the FP6 Info Day on the forthcoming
Call for Proposals (17 June 2005) on: http://www.managenergy.net/conference/0506fp6info.html |
| 23/06/2005 |
ENER·G
Group acquires Petbow Cogeneration Ltd
June – 2005 (Cogeneration)
Manchester based leading cogeneration
specialist ENER·G Combined Power has acquired the business
and assets of Petbow Cogeneration Ltd, formally owned by Centrica.
In recent years ENER·G has been providing maintenance for
the Petbow’s installed base of up to 80 units, sized from
56kWe up to 800kWe.
Speaking of the acquisition, ENER·G’s Operations Director,
Peter Law, commented, “We are pleased to be able to build
upon on the arms-length relationship we have enjoyed with Petbow’s
customers.” Peter continued, “We will now be in a position
to offer their customers access to our full range of products,
and greatly enhance the level of service that they will experience,
which is increasingly important with the continuing rise in energy
prices that now make on-site Combined Heat & Power an essential
part of any energy manager’s strategy for cost reduction.”
ENER·G is an international group that offers a proven range
of clean and efficient energy solutions, in cogeneration, renewable
energy, energy efficiency and energy from waste. For
further details, please visit www.energ.co.uk
or telephone +44 (0)161 745 7450 |
| 23/06/2005 |
MEPs
push for a 25% share for renewables in 2020
(Euractiv) The Parliament's industry committee
has called on the Commission to set a 25% binding target for renewables
in total energy consumption by 2020. The Parliament's Industry,
Research and Energy Committee on 21 June adopted the report on
renewable energies by Claude Turmes (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg) by
26 votes for, 5 against and 15 abstentions.
Although legally non-binding, the vote is an indication to the
Commission that MEPs are supportive of additional measures to
bolster renewable energies in the EU. In April 2004, the Parliament
had already adopted a resolution calling for a 20% binding target
in 2020.
In giving their support to the Turmes report, MEPs have called
for:
- a 25% binding target for renewable energies in total energy
consumption by 2020;
- tax cuts to encourage renewables and in particular, biomass;
- fair grid access for electricity produced from renewable energies;
- end to distortions in the energy market (subsidies to coal and
nuclear, ownership unbundling) |
| 20/06/2005 |
The
European Commission is currently preparing the third call for
proposals under the Intelligent Energy – Europe programme
(EIE),
the European Union’s support programme for the promotion
of energy efficiency and renewables. The call for proposals is
likely to be published towards the end of September this year
and an Information Day will be organised in Brussels in early
October. The call will be open until early 2006.
Most
thematic areas of the global work programme 2003-06 will be open
for proposals. Approximately 50 million Euros of financial support
will be made available for projects focusing on energy efficiency,
renewables, intelligent use of energy in transport, and cooperation
with developing countries on these issues. EIE grants will also
be offered for cross-cutting horizontal actions and for the creation
of energy agencies.
More information:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/intelligent/whatsnew/index_en.htm
|
| 17/06/2005 |
US
Senate passes renewables bill
(Point Carbon) The US Senate yesterday (17 June) narrowly approved
a Democrat-backed add-on to the Energy Bill that will require
utilities to generate ten per cent of their electricity from renewable
energy.
If ratified by the Administration, the bill will see the US's
share of renewable supply increase from currently two per cent
to ten per cent over the next 15 years. However, it stands firm
against the wishes of the House of Representatives and the Administration
and could potentially delay or even halt the Energy plan.
Proponents of the bill say that it will provide enough renewable
power to energise 56 million homes by 2025, while opponents claim
it will is expensive and unrealistic. Some estimates state it
could cost up to $18 billion (€14.8 billion.) |
| 16/06/2005 |
Second
meeting of the COGEN Europe Working Group "CHP from RES"
In
order to effectively respond to the increased attention for RES,
COGEN Europe has set up an internal Working Group on CHP from
RES. Its overall objective is to give a voice to the European
cogeneration community and to represent its interest in current
and future Community actions.
The Working Group offers a forum to discuss these and other issues,
to exchange information, to define lobbying positions of COGEN
Europe, to meet EU policymakers, to ensure the role of cogeneration
in the emerging RES debate, to identify market barriers, to look
into market opportunities and to contribute to the post-Kyoto
debate.
The second meeting of the Working Group is scheduled for Wednesday
6 July 2005 where a draft Work Plan with key issues and actions
for the first year will be identified. Participation in the Working
Group is free for Members of COGEN Europe.
More information can be found here.
If you are interested to participate, please contact Stefan Craenen
from COGEN Europe on stefan.craenen@cogen.org |
| 07/06/2005 |
New
Commission five-point plan to react to the surge in oil prices
The
Commission proposed a five-point plan presented to deal with the
current very high oil prices as they have an impact on the welfare
of EU citizens but on the economic growth and thus the attainment
of its EU’s Lisbon objectives. Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner
for Energy, said: “The Commission’s energy policy has
for some time now focused on a series of measures to react to
the high oil prices. Europe leads the world in providing an intelligent,
coherent and environmentally sound response to this challenge.
However, given current prices and the negative effect that this
is having on EU citizens, we need to redouble our efforts”.
The following points are set out:
1. Reducing demand for energy
2. Increase reliance on other forms of energy
3. Increase transparency and predictability of oil markets
4. Increase the supply of oil and gas
5. React effectively to emergency situations with respect to oil
stocks
A
summary of the plan can be found here. |
| 01/06/2005 |
COGEN
Europe welcomes new Head of Public Affairs
Today, Frank Knecht has joined COGEN Europe to lead the Public
Affairs Department. "Combined heat and power production is
the most efficient and effective way of generating electricity
and heat, and constitutes a major pillar of a future sustainable
energy system for the European Union. It is a pleasure to work
for the promotion of this clean, clever and competitive energy
solution", he said. Mr Knecht's background is in Political
Science and International Relations. Previously, he worked for
the wind power sector, for the chemicals industry and the European
Commission. |
| 02/06/2005 |
Emissions
Trading - Aviation would send CO2 price "through the roof"
Whether
to include aviation in the EU scheme has dominated the debate
at the second day of the European Commission's Green Week conference.
An EC-commissioned report called "giving wings to emissions
trading" on how emissions from the aviation industry could
be included in the scheme concluded that airlines would provide
the demand for around one per cent of the total allocation of
EU allowances in the first phase of the scheme - estimated at
around 2.2 billion allowances.
"That is around one third of the short position (in the first
phase of the emissions trading scheme)," said Claire Byers
of Fortis Bank, an active player in the European emissions market.
The corresponding hike in prices "would be unacceptable to
industries already in the scheme." Byers also made the point
that industry needed to make long term decisions in order to operate
effectively in the scheme and in their own arenas. "We need
to know what's going to happen in ten years' time. If the EC said
aviation is going to be in the EU ETS next year I guarantee you
the price of CO2 would go through the roof."
One major problem in including aviation is that international
flights are not covered by the Kyoto Protocol, so any allocation
of allowances to aviation would detract from a country's efforts
to meet its Kyoto target. CE Delft suggested either auctioning
allowances to airlines, or allocating according to benchmarks. |
| 02/06/2005 |
Emissions
Trading - EC launches major survey on EU ETS
(Point
Carbon) The European Commission is to launch in the coming days
or weeks a major consultation exercise in a bid to find common
ground on how the EU ETS should be changed in the long term.
The internet-based survey will be conducted by consultants McKinsey
and is targeted at emitters as well as governmental bodies and
environmental organisations. Announcing the survey, Dr Leo Birnbaum
of McKinsey said: "The scheme is already perceived by industry
to be complex. Simplicity needs to be at the core of changes made
to the scheme." The survey will be open to the public from
June to mid-August.
The aim of the survey is to establish the right way forward for
long-term changes to the EU scheme. The European Environment Commissioner
Stavros Dimas told the EC's conference in Brussels, Green Week,
that fundamental changes would only be practicable for 2013 when
the third phase of the scheme is to start. |
| 26/05/2005 |
CHPs
Contribution to Sustainable Energy
As
part of Green Week, COGEN Europe has issued a paper on 'CHP's
Contribution to Sustainable Energy'. The paper suggests that
the integration of cogeneration, energy efficiency and renewable
energy solutions will be essential in the development of a more
sustainable energy future. In addition it outlines the part Europe
has to play to achieve this. |
| 26/05/2005 |
Emissions
Trading - price of allowances
Following
the approval of the revised Italian NAP, the price of allowances
(EUA) traded on the market has surged to over 19.50 EUR for delivery
in December 2005, with some trades even beyond the 20 EUR psychological
barrier. This is to be compared with prices below 7 EUR earlier
in the year.
On trades registered on 26 May on the Leipzig-based EEX, EU Allowances
traded for 19.94 EUR, while prices were comparable on the Noord
Pool market.
Besides the impact of the revised Italian NAP, higher natural
gas prices have also been a factor driving EUA prices upwards. |
| 26/05/2005 |
Emissions
Trading - Commission
approves Italian allocation plan
(EU Rapid Press Releases)
The European Commission today accepted
Italy's plan for allocating CO2 emission allowances to Italian
companies for the 2005-2007 trading period, after the Italian
authorities agreed to lower significantly the total number of
allocation by 23 million tonnes of CO2 annually or 9%. Italy will
also have to notify further details of its allocations to specific
installations and to abandon a provision to make a so-called ex-post
adjustment to the plan.
The Italian allocation plan covers 1,240 installations. They will
be allocated allowances to emit an annual average of 232.5 million
tonnes of CO2 for the 2005-2007 trading period. |
| 18/05/2005 |
ICCI
Conference 2005
11th International Cogeneration, Combined
Cycle and Environment Conference and Exibition.
26-27 May 2005, Istanbul, TURKEY. |
| 13/05/2005 |
UK
climate efforts offset by growth in energy consumption from transport
and households
(EurActiv)
According
to latest energy-environment projections by Cambridge Econometrics,
unless new policies are adopted, CO2 emissions cuts from the power
generation sector in the UK will be offset in 2010 by continued
growth in energy consumption from transport and households.
Cambridge Econometrics have calculated that the sharp reductions
in emissions in the power generation sector were likely to be
offset by a continued growth in energy consumption from transport
and households.
These two sectors are expected to remain well above 1990 levels
and will remain key obstacles to a low-CO2 economy, the researchers
said. They called for urgent measures from the government, including
the promotion of renewable energies and measures to improve energy-efficiency
in transport and households rather than a new nuclear programme.
For further information:
http://www.camecon.com |
| 11/05/2005 |
REEEP
Disperses 1Mn for Global Clean Energy Projects
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Partnership (REEEP) has announced just over 1 million Euros of
funding for clean energy projects in Africa, Asia, North America,
Latin America and Europe.
There are 18 newly-funded REEEP projects focused on accelerating
the market development of clean energy. They range from blueprints
for national renewable energy policies to support for clean energy
funds. In keeping with REEEP's remit, half of the new projects
focus on establishing policy and regulatory models, and half on
new financing techniques. Two thirds of the projects are in the
renewable energy sector, one third are in energy efficiency. Details
of the finance projects can be found at: www.reeep.org
Details of the policy projects can be found at: www.reeep.org |
| 04/05/2005 |
Energy
Commissioner on future EU energy policy: more RES and energy efficiency
(EurActiv)
In an interview with EurActiv, the Energy Commissioner Andris
Piebalgs shared his vision of a future EU energy policy where
great emphasis would be put on renewables and energy efficiency
and more attention would be given to the issue of oil scarcity.
Commenting on the progress made since the 2000 Green Paper on
security of energy supply, he expressed his disappointment and
stressed the need for closer co-ordinated action at EU-level.
He also expressed satisfaction at the 60% increase in the energy
research budget (2.9 billion euro) in the 7th Framework programme
and called on industry to submit projects and create technology
platforms.
Asked about the Green Paper on energy efficiency, Mr Piebalgs
indicated that his services are looking into the possibility of
having targets on energy consumption per capita, noting that it
should decrease instead of rising at the current rate of 0.6%
per year.
The Commissioner also expressed his desire to boost biomass use
and assess the implementation of the directives for renewables:
"where I think we have underperformed is biomass. So that
is why we are now preparing an action plan on biomass, with special
attention being placed on heat and cooling. I also intend to look
at how the directives for renewables, especially electricity,
have been implemented". |
| 28/04/2005 |
ENVI
Committee Opinion on Renewable Energy
The
2004 Commission Communication on “The share of renewable
energy in the EU” is currently being discussed in the European
Parliament (EP). In its Opinion the ‘Committee on the Environment,
Public Health and Food Safety’ (ENVI) calls to give further
attention to the development of heating and cooling from RES,
by assessing its potential and identifying specific barriers,
and in the light of the emerging technologies to exploit the potential
of bioenergy and biofuels in conjunction with sustainable agriculture
and forestry within the CAP. This ENVI Opinion now goes to the
EP’s ‘Committee on Industry, Research and Energy’
(ITRE), which as the responsible committee has lead responsibility
on the dossier. The ITRE Committee is likely to discuss the Commission
Communication and the ENVI Opinion on 24 May. |
| 26/04/2005 |
A
simplified, more ambitious 7th Framework Programme: but lacking
teeth in then energy sector
(Europe
Information Energy)The new EU Framework Programme for Research
and Technological development for 2007-2013, proposed by the European
Commission on April 6, is endowed with a budget of EUR 64.282
billion, twice the budget of the previous FP. It stands out as
being more ambitious than previous Framework Programmes while
ensuring simplified administrative procedure and more flexible
financial instruments, especially designed to attract smaller
entities.
Funds for energy sector RTD over the period stand at 2,590 million
euro, a figure dwarfed by the budget for the EU's nuclear research
programme, for which the nuclear fusion programme alone accounts
for over 2 billion euro.
According to the renewable and energy efficiency industry, the
level of funding for non-nuclear energy is not in line with the
EU's energy policy objectives. The Research Directorate-General's
advisory group on energy believes it is "reckless" to
maintain so low a level of research funding in the energy sector
when energy use is the "biggest threat facing our developing
economies". |
| 26/04/2005 |
Eurostat:
Sustainable development indicators
(Europe
Information Energy)The EU's Statistical Office, Eurostat, announced
on March 22 the on-line publication of sustainable
development indicators, adopted by the European Commission
on February 9th.
Set up with help from national experts, the indicators reflect
the different priorities adopted by the European Council in Gothenburg
in June 2001, but also in Barcelona in 2002, as well as commitments
made at Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. |
| 26/04/2005 |
EBRD
called on to overhaul its energy lending policy
(Europe
Information Energy) Almost 90% of the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development's lending for energy investments contributes to
climate change. The Bank has come under pressure from a group
of more than 130 civil society organisations from around the world.
More specifically, NGOs are demanding that the EBRD stop being
the only development bank in the world to support nuclear energy
and concentrate instead on funding renewable energy and energy
efficiency by gradually increasing targets for investments in
both areas. |
| 26/04/2005 |
EEB
urges end to polluting subsidies
(Europe
Information Energy) The European Environmental Bureau has released
a position paper entitled "Stop
Subsidies Polluting the World - Recommendations for phasing out
and redesigning environmentally harmful subsidies".
According to the organisation's Secretary-General, this approach
represents a real step towards implementing the recommendation
published in November 2004 by the High Level Group chaired by
Wim Kok, urging the introduction of an appropriate regulatory
framework to enable ecotechnologies to penetrate the market.
Recommendations include: phasing out energy tax cuts and exemptions
by 2010; end all state aid for coal mining no longer than 2010;
stop all kinds of preferential regulation for nuclear energy;
and pursue reforms in the context of the EU sustainable development
strategy. |
| 26/04/2005 |
Energy
Saving in buildings to have top priority in new Green Paper
(Europe
Information Energy) The European Commission's future Green
paper on energy efficiency will put buildings at the top of
the list of priorities, according to Energy Commissioner Andris
Piebalgs, who reiterated his appeal for action in the buildings
sector, "the leading source of energy consumption".
A joint committee (authorities and professionals) will examine
the implementation of Directive 2002/91/EC on the energy performance
of buildings, while the Commission will make new propositions,
notably requiring the modernisation of all existing homes. Commissioner
Piebalgs welcomed the binding objectives of the Draft Directive
on energy services, underlining that the voluntary measures
incorporated in the 1993 SAVE Directive had not proven effective. |
| 20/04/2005 |
The
CHAPNET project finished on 31 December 2004
During three years the project leader COGEN Europe, its 6 Partners
and 24 Members successfully set up and operated a Thematic Network
for collaboration, cooperation and exchange between the European
CHP RTD community. Stakeholders from the new and old EU Member
States were invited to two annual conferences and participated
in 29 Workshops on Technologies, Pre-normative research and Education
& Training. One of the main outcomes was a long-term Research
Strategy for CHP in Europe. Next to this, the CHAPNET project
resulted in:
-
a database with centres of excellence in Europe;
- recommendations for further RTD needs;
- a project web site (www.chp-research.com);
and
- documentation on the State of the Art for RTD on CHP
Please find the | |
