LEAK: Long-awaited EU rules on renewable hydrogen expected 15 December

The rules that will govern the requirements for hydrogen to be certified as renewable, are expected to be presented on 15 December by the Commission. Hydrogen is expected to play a key role in Europe’s decarbonisation efforts, even if its market has been slow due to uncertainty whether hydrogen is “green” or not for years.

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Slovenia, Hungary mull natural gas connection

Slovenia and Hungary are considering building a natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries as a means of reducing Hungary’s reliance on natural gas from Russia. The announcement came as Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban launched a new high-voltage power line that marks the first connection between both countries’ power grids on 2 December.

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France, Ireland confirm Celtic Interconnector will be up-and-running in 2027

Last week in Paris, Ireland’s Environment Minister Eamon Ryan announced that France and Ireland have reached a further key step in setting up the Celtic Interconnector, an underwater electricity cable connecting the Irish grid to the continent by 2027.

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Franco-Iberian Green Energy Corridor to boost Portugal’s “green” energy credentials

Portuguese Environment Minister Duarte Cordeiro said on Thursday that the agreement between France, Spain and Portugal to strengthen energy interconnections, could turn Portugal into a corridor and ‘green’ energy country. According to the minister, the agreement reached opens the door to more export opportunities via pipeline.

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Global energy efficiency progress is accelerating, signalling a potential turning point after years of slow improvement

The global energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dramatically escalated concerns over energy security and the inflationary impact of higher energy prices on economies and people’s livelihoods around the world. The IEA report stresses that more efficient use of energy is the first and best response. Government ambition on efficiency has grown in 2022 as fuel prices soared, with many major policies, spending commitments and public campaigns launched.

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Energy Transition Plans and other initiatives to unlock finance for African countries

During the last two decades, citizens in western countries have been pushing for new green policies, leading to the development of renewable energies, thus triggering unprecedented changes in the economic development. However, most of those investments have been focused on the West, setting aside many other countries in their initial, or mid-stages of their transformational changes. Indeed, this matter has been addressed on the Energy Day at COP27, during a gathering where several African ministers called for the necessary investments to finance critical energy infrastructure needed for economic and social development across the continent.

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The COP27 summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh made history when developing countries secured a new fund to support the victims of climate disasters

Yet this was tempered by a wider agreement – the “Sharm el-Sheikh implementation plan” – that excluded any mention of winding down the use of fossil fuels. It also provided little indication that nations were serious about scaling up efforts to cut emissions. Talks at the second most attended COP of all time went deep into extra time, as parties attempted to reach a deal that could secure consensus. Carbon Brief provides in-depth analysis of all the key outcomes in Sharm el-Sheikh – both inside and outside the COP.

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The global energy crisis is driving a surge in heat pumps, bringing energy security and climate benefits

Sales set to hit new records, helping save energy and emissions, but policy action is needed to unblock bottlenecks such as upfront costs and training workers. Worldwide sales of heat pumps are set to soar to record levels in the coming years as the global energy crisis accelerates their adoption, the International Energy Agency says in a new special report released on November 30. Heat pumps are a hyper-efficient and climate-friendly solution, which help consumers save money on bills and enable countries to cut reliance on imported fossil fuels, according to the IEA special report The Future of Heat Pumps, the first comprehensive global outlook on the subject.

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