Europe

The UK Government aims to achieve a close association with Euratom but plans to be prepared to operate as an independent nuclear state if necessary

The smart use of renewable gas is needed for Europe to hit its climate goals and could save as much as €140 billion (£124bn) each year. That’s according to a new report from the Gas for Climate initiative, which is made up of seven gas transport companies including Enagás, Fluxys and Gasunie, as well as two […]

The EU could double the volume of renewable energy in its energy mix, reaching a share of 34% by 2030. That’s according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which says this is possible with existing technologies and would require an estimated investment of around €62 billion (£54.7bn) per year. It adds raising the share […]

A £3.8 million project investigating sustainability and waste minimisation across Europe has been launched by the University of Hull. The EU-funded Horizon 2020 project aims to achieve a more circular economy across the continent, which would use resources for as long as possible before reusing or recycling their component materials. It hopes to deliver 15 […]

The EU has approved two Belgian certification schemes for renewable electricity and high-efficiency cogeneration. It said the initiatives in Flanders were in line with EU State aid rules because they contribute to reaching international energy and climate goals whilst preserving competition in the market. The green certificates scheme means renewable electricity producers can receive one […]

Green bond issuance in Nordic nations is at a record high, despite the relatively small size of many countries in the region. A new report from the Climate Bonds Initiative shows Sweden is the sixth largest green bond issuer in the world, followed by Norway in 16th place, Denmark in 17th and Finland in 20th. […]

An energy efficiency and renewable firm has partnered with Flexitricity for demand side response (DSR) services in the UK and across Europe. The latter firm will provide DSR services to Ameresco’s industrial and commercial customers, which will include short term operating reserve, capacity market, triad avoidance and demand turn-up. Under DSR schemes, consumers are rewarded […]

Plans to build what Europe’s biggest battery plant in Sweden has received financial backing from an EU bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a loan of up to €52.5 million (£46.7m) for Northvolt’s factory in Vasteras for the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. Two former Tesla executives unveiled the plan for the $4 billion […]

  Investments in new wind energy capacity in Europe fell to €22.3 billion (£19.8bn) last year. It was down 19% from 2016 as the sector saw reduced costs, according to the latest statistics from WindEurope. While offshore wind investments dropped by 60%, down to €7.5 billion (£6.7bn), onshore investments hit a record level of €14.8 […]

A joint project between Chinese and European energy and research organisations to produce electricity from fossil fuels without releasing carbon dioxide has been launched. The Chinese-European Emission-Reducing Solutions (CHEERS) research and development scheme is made up of eight project partners, including Norway’s SINTEF Energi, Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University from China and Total from France. […]