PM, ministry deputy to discuss energy transition at Davos

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Alexandra Sdoukou will be presenting their views on where the energy transition currently stands in Greece at the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos, scheduled for January 15 to 19.

The Greek PM will participate in a discussion on the EU’s Green Deal with Maros Sefković, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, according to the event’s agenda.

Also taking part in this discussion will be Ester Baiget, President and CEO of Denmark-based biotechnology company Novozymes, and Maxim Timchenko, head of DTEK Group, a leading private investor in Ukraine’s energy sector.

The European Commission is promoting investments totaling one trillion euros in the current decade for sustainability, the ultimate goal being zero emissions by 2050.

Sdoukou, the deputy minister of environment and energy, will participate in a discussion with Surendra Patawari, Founder and Chairman of the Gemini Foundation, a company engaged in sourcing and distribution of recyclable and reprocessed plastics, paper, metal and rubber, on the energy transition in Greece and the wider region. Gemini is one of the largest solar energy producers in the US.

Brussels fears electricity prices could reignite Euroscepticism

The European Commission is pressing for an antidote to counter the sharp rise in electricity prices around Europe, fearing a prolonged period of escalated prices could spark a new wave of Euroscepticism that would put EU citizens at odds with the continent’s energy transition plan, a key Brussels climate-action strategy.

Allegations of market manipulation and doubled CO2 emission right prices since the beginning of the year, at 59.43 euros per ton yesterday, have reinforced the overall reaction against the EU’s energy policy, placing governments under pressure and fueling unrest.

With fears growing of a resurgence in France’s yellow vest movement, the European Commission is seeking to convince citizens that the Emissions Trading System (ETS), a cornerstone of the EU’s green-energy transition policy, is not the cause of the electricity price rises, instead laying the blame on natural gas and fossil fuels.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, in her State of the Union Address, delivered yesterday, was clearly distressed by the situation, offering strong support for the European Green Deal. But, judging by the overall response, she has not appeased the concerns about rising energy prices.

The president’s thinking was reiterated by her deputy Frans Timmermans, in charge of the European Commission’s climate action portfolio, according to whom, only one-fifth of the electricity price increases can be attributed to the elevated CO2 emission rights prices.

 

 

Combination of events pushing electricity costs higher

Higher-priced electricity, globally, may have arrived to stay given the combination of events such as the sudden rebound of the global economy, which is intensifying demand for fuels, metals and electricity, as well as the European Green Deal, new climate change laws and more ambitious carbon neutrality targets, pushing up CO2 emission right prices.

In Greece, wholesale electricity prices have risen sharply in recent days, to levels above 100 euros per MWh, the heatwave conditions exacerbating the situation. CO2 emission right prices have reached 55 euros per ton, from 32 euros per ton at the beginning of the year. The market clearing price for June is estimated to be 79.33 euros per MWh from 59 euros per MWh in December.

Major electricity suppliers in the Greek market expect the wholesale price to settle at 83-84 euros per MWh in the next month before rising to 85 euros per MWh over the next few months, and reaching 92 euros per MWh towards the end of the year.

Wholesale price clauses included by suppliers in their agreements with consumers for protection against higher prices are well below the aforementioned projections, meaning consumers should soon expect considerably higher electricity costs if these forecasts prove to be accurate.

Even if eventual electricity cost hikes turn out to be milder, RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, and the energy ministry will be bracing for a bigger wave of consumer complaints.

 

Cross-industry climate change effort emphasized by CEO Alliance

The CEO of multinational power company Enel, Francesco Starace,  and chief executives from eleven European companies, have joined forces for a zero-carbon future and a more resilient Europe, Enel has announced in a statement.

The European Union is committed to net zero emissions by 2050, which is in line with the CEO Alliance companies’ own decarbonization strategies, the statement noted.

All members support the Paris 2050 goals, the EU Green Deal and the ambition to raise EU climate targets. They represent different industries, generate a combined 600 billion euros in annual revenues and employ 1.7 million people. The CEO Alliance channels their decarbonization efforts: it connects sectors and strategies, identifies potential for collaboration, and fosters projects and investments for a sustainable economy and society.

At its inaugural meeting in Stuttgart, the cross-industry alliance underscored: “The climate targets of the European Union are feasible. Our industries do not block, but rather foster the shift toward a carbon-neutral economy. We see growth potential for all industries in the long run. If we manage this historic transformation successfully, sustainable development and new future-proof jobs will be the result. Together, we will support all efforts to reach a social consensus for more sustainability.”

With yesterday’s start, the CEO Alliance becomes an association of action that unites corporate strategies, industries and societies on the road to a carbon-neutral Europe.

All members believe the new climate targets of the European Commission, envisaging emission reductions of 55% by 2030, are manageable.

On the industry side, the CEO Alliance members have already pledged to invest more than 100 billion euros in their respective decarbonization roadmaps over the next years to help reach these targets.

Every member has defined its own strategy to address decarbonization, by reducing carbon emissions across the relevant value chains and by offering sustainable products and services to customers. For reaching the respective CO2 targets, each member and each sector is dependent on other members and sectors, which especially calls for cross-sector activities.

Collaboration potential of the Alliance was identified in six fields: in energy systems, renewable power generation must be scaled up rapidly and power grids must be modernized. In terms of mobility and transport, the EV charging infrastructure must be expanded and the low-carbon transport or shipping of goods intensified. Zero-impact production – in particular for renewable power generation components – and sustainable battery production are key aspects in manufacturing and industrial processes. In terms of buildings and urban environments, the focus is on zero-emission offices and sustainable green city planning. In regard to new business models, the focus is on carbon tracking with digital technologies in the supply chain. The field of sustainable finance will also offer new opportunities.

The members also agree that the transformation towards a net-zero carbon future needs to be based on a broad public consensus. The CEO Alliance is willing to contribute to this consensus, and to establish a social contract, by intensifying the dialogue between stakeholders from the private sector, public sector and civil society. At the same time, the members call on political leaders to create the necessary political support and incentives. At the inaugural meeting, the dialogue started with a discussion with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission.

The CEO Alliance is convinced that ambitious decarbonization and cross-sector collaboration require ambitious and cross-sector policy frameworks, for example carbon pricing with a minimum floor price in the EU Emissions Trading System, a reform of the energy taxation system, and driving demand for sustainable, innovative and digital solutions, among other things by using renewal schemes, public procurement and investments.

The CEO Alliance represents members from key industry sectors: ABB, AkzoNobel, Eon, Enel, Iberdrola, A.P. Møller Maersk, Philips, SAP, Scania, Schneider Electric, Siemens and Volkswagen.

Following an initial joint letter to the European Commission in June 2020, the first face-to-face meeting underscored the commitment to act fast and to recognize the urgency of the necessary transformation for future competitiveness.

‘Energy ministry policies crucial in effort to revitalize economy’

The energy ministry’s policies promise to play a pivotal role in the challenge faced by the government to revitalize the national economy following lockdown, energy minister Costis Hatzidakis has noted in an article featuring in GREEK ENERGY 2020, the energypress team’s latest annual publication covering the Greek energy sector.

Action is already being taken by the ministry through a decisive energy-sector agenda that aims for growth and is fully aligned with the European Green Deal, now a key economic growth tool throughout Europe, the minister notes.

New financial tools such as an EU recovery fund, worth 750 billion euros, according to a European Commission proposal, are designed to help the EU achieve its goal of transition towards a zero-emission economy through support for the gradual elimination of fossil-fuel dependence, RES growth and energy savings, the minister writes.

Greece is ready to make the most of this EU support package, effectively an additional NSRF funding program for the country promising capital worth around 32 billion euros, in order to achieve sustainable green-energy growth, according to Hatzidakis.

Besides decarbonization and RES development, other aspects incorporated into the energy ministry’s wider plan include:  electromobility growth; a third Saving at Home subsidy program for domestic energy-efficiency upgrades; reforms for greater competition, transparency and more attractive price offers in the energy market; reduced industrial energy costs; and energy-sector privatizations, the minister notes.

 

Green energy to remain a catalyst for Greek economic growth

Local authorities, in the coming months, will focus on reigniting green energy investment interest expressed by many international funds until February, when the coronavirus outbreak began halting plans.

The restart could be a challenging task as certain funds may hold back following losses on stock exchanges.

Even so, the pandemic’s impact on green energy markets is expected to be far milder compared to other sectors.

Market analysts throughout the continent believe prospective investments in renewable energy, waste management, energy efficiency upgrades for buildings, as well as decarbonization initiatives, will serve as key factors for economic growth in Europe, including Greece.

The European Green Deal, aiming for a climate-neutral EU of zero greenhouse gases by 2050, will not be endangered by the current pandemic-induced crisis as it is a short-term condition that pales by comparison to the grander plan set out for the next 30 years, energy ministry sources told energypress.

However, a slight regression of green energy investment plans is initially anticipated, compared to positions in February.

Between 70 and 80 percent of foreign investors are expected to remain interested in Greece’s green energy sector in the months ahead, analysts believe.