Keeping up the heat and light after fossil fuels

By Anna McLauchlin

Date: 20/10/05

As energy consumption and oil prices rise, so does the importance of establishing a diverse energy mix in Europe.

The more sources Europeans can draw from, the more likely it is that their energy supply can continue if a particular source is limited or is jeopardised by geopolitical tensions.

Some politicians, such as French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, have already begun to talk of a "post-oil era" in reaction to the latest spike in prices. And in its July Green Paper the European Commission highlighted the importance of developing "energy self-sufficiency" within Europe's climatic constraints.

According to its latest figures dating from 2002, 38% of the EU 25's energy consumption comes from oil, 23% from natural gas, 18% from solid fuel, 15% from nuclear energy and about 5.5% from renewable sources.

Releasing more carbon dioxide than its competitors, coal has suffered in the energy mix from the focus on climate change. But the Commission is still keen to develop cleaner ways of burning the fuel and is backing various projects through its research programme.

This could include increasing the efficiency of coal combustion or looking at how the carbon released from combustion can be captured instead of being released into the atmosphere.

Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs is less nuclear-friendly than his predecessor Loyola de Palacio, who often spoke out in favour of nuclear energy. The Commission's stance on nuclear is now "neutral".

Though it has many advantages - being entirely clean and taking up little physical space compared to some renewable energy sources - the problem of containing the radioactive waste added to the political concerns still provokes reluctance in some member states.

Piebalgs, backed by environmentalists, is much more positive about the role that renewable energy sources, such as wind, water, solar power and biofuels, can play as a safe, environmentally friendly source in Europe's energy mix.

But the battle to increase renewables' share of the market is proving a difficult one. The Commission has already established a target of increasing the use of renewables in the total energy mix to 12% EU-wide by 2010 but estimates that a lack of real policies at EU level are unlikely to see this figure rise beyond 9%-10%.

In order to achieve the given target, the proportion of green electricity produced in Europe would have to rise to about 21% of overall consumption (from 13% currently) and so far many member states have not implemented EU laws on favouring green electricity.

A glimmer of hope appeared in August when the Commission published new rules on state environmental aid, which should allow member states to promote renewable energy sources more intensively.

Before the end of the year the Commission will produce a report on support schemes to boost the development of renewable energy and an action plan on biomass.

The Commission has a target of 5.75% for national share of biofuels by 2010 but Piebalgs has said that he will bring forward "more ambitious policy orientations" for biofuels in early 2006.

Article takes a look at the importance of establishing a diverse energy mix in Europe.