5 spunti per approfondire (settimana 12/2023)

La rubrica settimanale con i consigli di lettura di RivistaEnergia.it, dall’Europa e dal mondo. Forse non le notizie più eclatanti, ma proprio per questo interessanti da approfondire. Settimana 12/2023

“Hungary has begun talks with France over an increased role in its nuclear programme, which may eventually lead to replacing Russia at its only atomic power plant. The shift, if completed, would mark a significant change of tack in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s pro-Moscow stance, amid ongoing pressure from other EU states to target Russia’s nuclear exports with sanctions over its war in Ukraine, something Orbán has resisted. It would also underscore Orbán’s continued openness for pragmatic co-operation with his EU and Nato allies on key strategic issues, despite his virulent Eurosceptic rhetoric, criticism of Brussels and ongoing antagonism with other EU powers over his rightwing, nationalist regime.”

Hungary in talks with France over role in Russian-led nuclear plant
Articolo – Financial Times

“Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Thierry Breton, who jointly lead on the file, have one key objective in mind: reducing Europe’s reliance “on imports, often from quasi-monopolistic third country suppliers”, they said at a press conference in Brussels. Securing supply chains of critical and strategic raw materials is also a crucial element of any effective green transition. Demand for rare earth metals for wind turbines is expected to increase 4.5-fold by 2030. Lithium, a key element of batteries in electric vehicles and devices, shall see its demand increase 11-fold by 2030, and 57-fold by 2050, according to Commission’s estimates – yet only a small proportion comes from EU mines.”

EU unveils Critical Raw Materials Act, aiming to lessen dependence on China
Articolo – Euractiv

“EU climate policy has had a profound impact on the EU‘s electricity mix. Unprecedented levels of renewable energy have altered the parameters of the electricity market, giving rise to a debate around the merit of the market’s current design. The energy price crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created, in the second half of 2022, political momentum for reform. European electricity consumers are now demanding to reap the benefits of the low generation cost of renewables.”

In the time we have left, how can we realistically reform the EU’s electricity market?
Analisi – CEPS

“The EU has reduced its energy imports from Russia since February 2022. However, it has not eliminated its dependence totally, particularly on gas. In the next 12 months, the EU could still pay €21 billion to Russia for gas, rising to as much as €55 billion. In a high-payment scenario, the EU may end up sending €68 billion to Russia, roughly equivalent to the total volume of military aid provided by the Ukraine-supporting alliance in one year.”

How much will EU pay Russia for fossil fuels over the next 12 months?
Analisi – Bruegel

We identify four discursive shifts caused by this turn to geopolitics: 1) There is renewed controversy about whether gas imports slowed down the Energiewende or were necessary to support it. This weakens the discursive consensus on the desirability of the Energiewende. 2) In light of the new moral imperative for reducing dependence on Russian gas, the ecological modernization paradigm is challenged. 3) Lignite, nuclear power, and LNG are in contradiction to the goals of the Energiewende, but gain popularity as bridging technologies because they promise to increase supply security. 4) At the same time, additional funding for, and an accelerated implementation of renewable energy is justified by the new emphasis on security, freedom, and sovereignty.

A turn to geopolitics: Shifts in the German energy transition discourse in light of Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ricerca – Energy Research & Social Science

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