Alessandro Blasi’s Post

First time in Bruges 🇧🇪 and College of Europe 🇪🇺. It is always rewarding share room with students that will be soon called to take decisions and important roles in the public administration, diplomacy and more. The lecture of IEA Chief Fatih Birol on the journey of Europe in the clean transition, recognizing strategic mistakes and challenges ahead provides as ever a lot of food for thoughts. He also shared two important messages that - in my view - are too often forgotten. The first one is that what Europe has done over the last two years can be always questioned but it is simply remarkable. Make the changes that Europe energy system had to make in such short period of time was close to mission impossible, but it made it. Of course there is a bit of impact on #economy (as of course was better not having Russia invading Ukraine…) but while harmed, the continent has showed resilience and capacity of moving in solidarity. The second message - even more important - is reminding that we can criticize the choices made exactly because we have democracies. And I believe that looking around this is something that many give for granted. It is just enough looking outside Europe to see how many have not the privilege to enjoy… In these dark times better to not forget that… Federica Mogherini #energy #future

Grids, grids and grids.. Would you have even imagined this just a couple of years ago? .. Today’s 🇪🇺 Energy Minister Council was mainly focused on the importance of grids… While today’s focus is extremely right, it was an error not having the same a couple of years ago.. because the grids are such important part of the global energy system but left too long and too many times in the drawer… But in a world where the three key winners are.. gold medal: Electricity ⚡️ Silver medal: Electricity ⚡️ And bronze medal: Electricity ⚡️ … It is clear that grids need to have a first seat row. So good that such discussion reaches the highest level of decision makers. Because the “veins” of electricity system requires to be kept in good health! #data #future #sustainability #innovation #energy #economy

La seconda (o terza) vita dell’energia nucleare.⚛ ⚡️ Nel mondo non vi è grande potenza economica che non usi energia nucleare. Sia tra i giganti tradizionali che negli emergenti come Cina 🇨🇳 o India 🇮🇳 l’utilizzo di tale tecnologia è cosa comune. Tra i paesi G7, di cui l’Italia 🇮🇹 detiene quest’anno la Presidenza, il nostro paese aveva il “record” di essere l’unica nazione senza apporto di energia dall’atomo. Un record solitario che adesso viene condiviso con la Germania 🇩🇪 dove si discute già seriamente della decisone presa e delle conseguenze associate. Che tale tecnologia sia divisiva non vi è dubbio. E che ogni paese abbia il sacrosanto diritto di scegliere e’ altrettanimportante. Vi sono legittime preoccupazioni, tra i costi di finanziamento, smaltimento scorie ed elementi di sicurezza associati. Ma e’ evidente come la crisi energetica attuale abbia determinato un ‘terremoto’ anche tra coloro che di tale opzione non volevano sentire parlare o che non ve ne sono mai occupati. Il punto è proprio questo. L’energia è troppo importante per il funzionamento e sviluppo di un paese per essere soggetta a discussioni campaniliste, quasi di matrice calcistica. La logica che essere a favore di una fonte – per esempio le rinnovabili – significa essere contro un’altra fonte – per esempio il nucleare – è limitante e troppo semplicistica. Se le difficoltà associate all’utilizzo dell’energia nucleare sono evidenti, altrettanto dovrebbero essere i vantaggi associati che non necessariamente sono esclusivamente economici. L’articolo di Daniele Manca (https://lnkd.in/eJzmkgx4) è quindi corretto – perché un paese come l’Italia merita un dibattito che sia prima di tutto concreto… Sarebbe ora….! #energia #data #future

When it is about renewables, the discussions are always focusing on wind or solar, BUT the real giant of the clean electricity is - so far - hydropower‼️ And in most of the cases it is a forgotten giant. The contribution of hydropower cannot be overlooked, both in terms of quantity than in quality. In quantity, as the electricity #production from hydro is more than wind and solar combined, although this is a gap that will close soon given the rate of growth of modern #renewables. And in quality, since hydro serves as a baseload in many countries and also can be used as an important storage tool for when electricity is needed. The importance of hydro is also sometimes not completely appreciated. For instance in 2023, a very dry year in #China, determined a low contribution, pushing the use of coal higher in the country. #energy #data #future #sustainability

With more than 8 billion tonnes used per year and maintaining the role of largest global source of electricity ⚡️coal remains the n. 1 issue for climate goals. Although capacity and generation are two different things (and coal plants tend to be used less as #renewables gain market share), this is quite a worrying trend 👇 #production #energy #data #sustainability #power #climatechange

How BIG is China 🇨🇳 for oil markets? This sentence says it all 👇 “In the decade up to 2023, ALMOST TWO-THIRDS of all oil demand growth came from China”. Predicting trends in the oil markets is a very difficult exercise (not as much as predicting oil prices, but not too far away). This commentary from IEA colleagues ( https://lnkd.in/epx87B3A ) provide a thoughtful analysis of many elements and dynamics driving the oil markets. And among many elements the sentence about China is really striking for me. Because the Asian giant has been the single most important factor in global oil growth of recent years. Changes taking place in #China’s economy are therefore set to have massive implications. Penetration of EVs in its domestic market - something really going at light speed there - is probably the most single element for the destiny of oil demand growth… And here keyword is “growth”… because unfortunately we are still speaking of “easing” or “moderating” or “slowdown” of growth… which means we are still in a trend when the oil demand of next year will be higher than this year. With new technologies coming, the moment in which “growth” would be replaced seems approaching fast, despite big large consumers such as #india 🇮🇳 or #Africa, might get increasing importance on the markets Amidst many uncertainties, one thing is sure. As the article mentions “Global consumption of oil is set to peak, but its centrality remains”. #energy #oilgas #sustainability #innovation #technology

🚨NEW 🚨 Just more than 2 years from the start of the very 1st global #energy crisis, it is time to reflect on what Europe has been able to achieve in very difficult times. And while challenges and difficulties should not be hidden, it is also important to find inspiration and new energies from good results. This joint op-ed from President von der Leyen and International Energy Agency (IEA) Chief, Fatih Birol looks at this and next steps (available also here - https://lnkd.in/ew2uCF9z) Until two years ago, Europe was completely over-relying on Russia for most of its energy needs. The vast majority of #oilgas molecules used in Europe were "made in Russia". In a very short period of time, this is not the case anymore. It has been painful for Europe's #economy? Yes.... but certainly not as much as someone was thinking ahead of the invasion... to the point of forecasting for Europe to be "freezing and in the dark". it is clear that the #jobs is not over. Improving continent's industrial competitiveness has become an even more compelling priority. Keeping climate goals at the heart of action another important element. Ensuring that energy is not only reliable but also affordable especially for poorest part of population a fundamental goal. And of course it is always possible to disagree with actions made and criticise those (it is the beauty of democracy... something we tend to forget too often), but Europe has definitely taken its energy destiny back into its own hands! Peter Van Kemseke #sustainability #technology #innovation #data #future

🚨 Global warming is coming for your home … Who will pay for the damage? That is the question from this week’s The Economist And it is not a provocation.. Just look from an airplane how many houses are exposed to sea level rise Or how dangerous have become sides of valley exposed to massive slumps Or how floods and extreme events can destroy an house in seconds Many places - much more than what expected - are vulnerable to dramatic consequences of climate change and extreme events The times for selected a new place only on the basis of confort or price criteria are gone.. Now there is also the criteria “what if the weather gets extreme”… And it is not a detail. It is a matter of life lost and trillions of dollars “evaporated”… . #energy #climatechange #data #sustainability

If gas 🔥 is a key cost component of your industrial process, such price difference 👇matters quite a lot for your competitiveness… It is therefore understandable the preoccupations shared by RWE Chief Markus Krebber in an interview with FT concerning structural demand destruction (https://lnkd.in/e9EvUAjz). And it is understandable as well that - as reported in the article “A survey by the German 🇩🇪 Chamber of Commerce and Industry last September found that 43 per cent of large industrial companies were planning to relocate their operations outside of Germany, with the US being the top destination.” In such situation at least there are two elements of relief: One is that - if the 🇺🇸 shale revolution has been key driver of very cheap gas prices in US - it is also true that Europe has massively benefitted of “the US LNG armada” that came at rescue during the crisis - de facto helping Europe to react to Russia energy blackmail Another one, as the IEA analysis anticipated in last October WEO, there is a lot of new LNG coming to the market - of which a significantly chunk from US - that might provide some help in terms of prices and availability while keeping out the “Russia blackmail” It remain evident that with big price differential and other measures such as IRA, the challenge for competing is pretty high, calling for European efforts in finding also a new business model that can overcome the one implemented for decades and largely based on Russian supplies. As it is clear that while use of gas is not going to disappear tomorrow, the climate emergency cannot be forgotten either… #energy #data #sustainability #oilgas #innovation

So far, a quite extraordinary journey ⚡️ 🚙… The childhood is over - now it is time to prove to be in adult age.