Category: Knowledge Center Europe

UK Energy Trends: Paper

UK Energy Trends: Paper

July 2, 2025 | , ,

Renewable electricity generation dropped 4.9 percentage points to 46.3 per cent of total generation in the first quarter of 2025. Wind generation provided 28.5 per cent of the total generation, short of the 38.1 per cent provided by gas. Renewable generation capacity increased by 6 per cent on the same period last year, slightly below the average growth rate of the last three years. UK energy production fell 2 per cent last year, mainly due to a fall in gas output stemming from the maturity of the basin, and low wind output from lower wind speeds.

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European EV Market Monitor: Paper

European EV Market Monitor: Paper

May 30, 2025 | , , ,

This market spotlight by the International Council on Clean Transportation highlights that the average share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) among total new registrations in Europe increased 1 percentage point to 17% in April 2025, up from 16% in March. While several manufacturer pools had decreases in BEV shares of 1 or 2 percentage points in April compared with the previous month, including the BMW, Mercedes-Volvo-Polestar, Hyundai, TeslaStellantis-Toyota, and Renault pools, other pools increased their shares. The 19% BEV share of the Volkswagen pool was a notable jump of 7 percentage points over its 2024 average. 

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Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor 2025: IEA Report

Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor 2025: IEA Report

May 22, 2025 | , , ,

Northwest Europe is at the forefront of low-emissions hydrogen1 development. This region accounts for around 40% of Europe’s total hydrogen demand, and it has vast and untapped renewable energy and carbon storage potential in the North Sea. It also has a well developed, interconnected gas network that could be partially repurposed to facilitate the transmission and distribution of low emissions hydrogen from production sites to demand centres. The development of the low-emissions hydrogen market in Northwest Europe could gradually scale up in the short- to medium-term. Northwest European countries now have ambition to develop up to 30 to 35 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030.

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Energy Transition Plans of Europe’s Grid Operators: Report

Energy Transition Plans of Europe’s Grid Operators: Report

May 16, 2025 | , ,

Despite power grids remaining high on the political agenda, the scale of the challenge is immense. A conservative estimate suggests that as of 2024-2025, there were 1,700 GW of renewable energy and hybrid projects waiting for grid connections across 16 countries. TSOs are in many cases being obliged to use outdated national energy plans to prepare for the future. These do not reflect exponential market growth in renewables, and can therefore hold back the level of anticipatory investment and foresight needed to integrate renewables and storage. This risks creating a self-fulfilling prophecy where gas is ‘needed’ for longer. 

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Community Energy Projects in Ireland: Report

Community Energy Projects in Ireland: Report

May 9, 2025 | , ,

Ireland has an ambitious target to produce 80% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. More specifically, small-scale community-owned renewable electricity generators have already been identified as a part of meeting that target, with the Climate Action Plan targeting at least 500 MW of local community-based renewable energy projects. To realize these benefits, it is crucial community leaders and local project developers understand how ownership models of these community energy projects work. To ensure communities benefit from local energy community projects, it is crucial for project supporters and initiators to understand the nuances and opportunities of different ownership models.

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Revising EU’s Public Procurement for Green Transition: Brief

Revising EU’s Public Procurement for Green Transition: Brief

May 2, 2025 | , ,

The brief “How Reforming the European Union’s Public Procurement Directive Can Help Drive a Green Transition” by International Institute for Sustainable Development concludes that the current EU Public Procurement Directives create challenges due to the fragmented legal landscape, the voluntary nature of GPP, and the lack of legal certainty. This hinders progress toward the EU’s climate and competitiveness goals. Given that public procurement represents about 14% of the EU’s GDP and 10% of its GHG emissions, a stronger framework is critical to fully leverage public procurement for strategic objectives. 

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EU’s Green Trade Agenda: Brief

EU’s Green Trade Agenda: Brief

April 25, 2025 | , ,

The global trading system is in a period of unprecedented change, fuelled by rising protectionism and geopolitical instability. This is a critical moment for EU trade policy – all eyes are focused on the reaction to tariffs imposed by the new US administration, but the EU must also strengthen its bilateral trade relationships with the rest of the world. By proactively forging mutually beneficial partnerships, rebuilding trust with third countries, and championing ambitious climate action, the EU can continue to make headway towards its strategic objectives and re-establish the positive role of trade cooperation to deliver solidarity in an increasingly volatile world.

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Energy Policy Review Germany 2025: IEA Report

Energy Policy Review Germany 2025: IEA Report

April 10, 2025 | , , ,

Germany is at an important inflection point in its energy transition. As one era of its energy history draws to a close, another is coming clearly into view – the move away from nuclear, coal and Russian natural gas contrasted by the transition towards renewables, low-emissions hydrogen, heat pumps and electric vehicles (EVs). While the world has been buffeted by geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges in recent years, Germany has worked hard to accelerate its clean energy transition. 

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Ukraine’s Hydrogen Roadmap: IEA Report

Ukraine’s Hydrogen Roadmap: IEA Report

April 3, 2025 | , , ,

This report “Unlocking Ukraine’s Hydrogen Opportunity: A Roadmap” focuses on hydrogen production from renewables, given Ukraine’s large potential and its higher quality when compared to the rest of Europe. Gas production in Ukraine is only just sufficient to satisfy domestic demand, so producing hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) would mean that additional gas imports are needed. Ukraine also has vast experience with nuclear, which represents more than half of its electricity generation.

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Energy Trends in UK: Brief

Energy Trends in UK: Brief

April 3, 2025 | , , ,

Production from renewable technologies in 2024 increased 7 per cent to a record 144.7 TWh, and a record share of 50.8 per cent of electricity generation, passing half of generation for the first time ever in the annual data. Wind generation increased by 2 per cent to a new record high. Bioenergy and solar output also increased to new record highs. With nuclear output stable, low carbon generation was a record 65.0 per cent for the year. Generation from fossil fuels dropped to levels last seen in the 1950s, down 16 per cent and a share of 31.5 per cent due to 15 per cent fall in gas generation and the cessation of coal generation in the latter part of the year

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Imbalance Regulations in European Energy Markets: Statistics

Imbalance Regulations in European Energy Markets: Statistics

March 28, 2025 | , ,

This data on imbalance charges in the European energy markets is sourced from the report “Challenges in Forecasting and Scheduling of Solar power plants after stringent and frequent changes in CERC (Deviation Settlement Mechanism) regulations” published by Sustainable Projects Developers Association. France, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Serbia and Monaco are exempted from paying imbalance charges.

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Ireland’s Energy Supply Chain: Report

Ireland’s Energy Supply Chain: Report

March 28, 2025 | , ,

This report examines in detail how well the Irish supply chain is positioned to capture new business as a result of the ongoing transition to sustainable energy systems in Ireland and beyond. The report highlights the potential market size for a selection of key sustainable energy technologies in Ireland, the EU and globally, and areas of the supply chain where Irish businesses in the manufacturing, construction and services sectors could capture a share of the market.

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European Electricity and Gas Markets: Report

European Electricity and Gas Markets: Report

March 20, 2025 | , ,

Europe’s energy landscape is at a crossroads. Renewable energy saw significant growth, accounting for 34% of power generation in 2024. Early 2024 marked some of the lowest energy prices since 2021, thanks to a strong renewable supply and nuclear recovery in France. Inflexible generation kept EU summer electricity prices low, causing more negative price events, increasing by 50% in 2024.

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EU’s Action Plan for Affordable Energy: Paper

EU’s Action Plan for Affordable Energy: Paper

March 7, 2025 | , ,

To deliver on the Clean Industrial Deal, Europe needs affordable energy. A set of concrete short-term and structural measures will provide competitiveness, affordability, security and sustainability for citizens and businesses. As part of the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission presented on 26 February 2025 an Affordable Energy Action Plan. The Action Plan includes making electricity bills more affordable, bring down the cost of electricity supply, ensuring well-functioning gas markets and others.

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EU’s Strategy to Tackle Hydrogen Emissions: Paper

EU’s Strategy to Tackle Hydrogen Emissions: Paper

February 28, 2025 | , , ,

Hydrogen (H2) is an indirect greenhouse gas (GHG). While H2 emissions make up a negligible fraction of today’s GHG emissions, they are set to become more significant in the 2030s and, should the EU and the global community progress towards climate neutrality, will likely be substantial in the 2040s, as achieving climate neutrality requires the expansion of hydrogen use alongside the rapid reduction of other GHGs. This paper explores how the EU can address H2 emissions using a four-pronged strategy.

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Electricity Infrastructure Development in EU: Report

Electricity Infrastructure Development in EU: Report

February 19, 2025 | , ,

The report “Electricity infrastructure development to support a competitive and sustainable energy system” by ACER concludes that focused development of distribution, transmission and cross-border capacities is essential for a secure, sustainable and competitive EU energy system. Infrastructure is key to enabling the integration of renewable generation and electrification of energy demand, and to unlocking the benefits of market integration, including a more optimal operation of the EU power system (reducing congestion management costs, redispatching costs and other such costs) and sharing flexibility.

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European Electricity Review 2025: EMBER

European Electricity Review 2025: EMBER

January 24, 2025 | , , , ,

The report summarises that the transition of the EU electricity sector maintained momentum in 2024, despite challenging political and economic conditions. Solar power grew strongly and overtook coal power for the first time. Another year of coal and gas decline – the fifth year in a row for gas – cut EU power sector emissions to below half their 2007 peak and further reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels. Significant progress has been made over the last EU political cycle, but delivery needs to be accelerated. The European Green Deal has delivered a deep and rapid transformation of the EU power sector. 

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Analysis of UK’s Clean Power Mission: Report

Analysis of UK’s Clean Power Mission: Report

January 17, 2025 | , , , ,

This report concludes that the clean power mission offers the chance to revolutionise the UK economy, accelerating the transition to net zero while reforming power policies so the benefits of decarbonisation are felt in people’s pockets. Reaching clean power by 2030 can be achieved with electricity bills at a similar level to today and reduced exposure to gas prices under existing pricing policies. However, our Electricity Bills Charter aligns the path for decarbonising the power grid with significant reductions in bills, which could offer savings of over £200 a year by 2030.

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EU’s Four Tests for Climate Action: Brief

EU’s Four Tests for Climate Action: Brief

January 10, 2025 | , ,

The EU’s new political term has officially kicked into gear. 2025 is set to be a particularly tumultuous year, yet one where Europe has a unique opportunity to rise to multiple challenges. Not least among them will be demonstrating that an accelerated clean transition is a viable pathway towards lasting stability, security and cohesion. This orientation briefing “Four Tests Driving Eu Politics In 2025 And What They Mean For Climate Action” by E3G sets the scene for what tests are likely to drive EU politics in 2025 and thus have the greatest impact for climate action.

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Ukraine’s Decentralised Energy Future: IEA

Ukraine’s Decentralised Energy Future: IEA

December 18, 2024 | , ,

Analysis shows that a diverse mix of DERs offers a cost-effective and resilient path for Ukraine’s power system recovery. Urgent actions include deploying small gas turbines and DERs such as solar PV and batteries to address a projected 6 GW winter power deficit in 2024/2025. The move towards a greater level of decentralisation in power generation can also support Ukraine in meeting its long-term decarbonisation goals. This roadmap outlines a pathway to rebuild and modernise Ukraine’s power sector amid ongoing attacks on its energy infrastructure.

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