The EU’s plans to reduce Russian gas imports by two-thirds in response to the war in Ukraine is both an opportunity and a threat for efforts to address air pollution in the region.
The goal is to significantly reduce dependence on Russian natural gas entering the block by 2023. However, to date, the bloc continues to pay Russia for these non-renewable fuels that produce large amounts of toxic air and water pollution, and are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
In late February, Germany announced the cancellation of the €9.9 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia – this good news from an environmental point of view.
The withdrawal of Russian energy might also increase the use of coal-fired power plants, but it is also an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of new wind and solar projects in Europe and maximize production from the existing, available, low-emission sources: bioenergy and nuclear.
For example, Germany intends to phase out its remaining three nuclear power plants – Emsland, Isar and Neckarwestheim – by the end of 2022, and many countries are undergoing decommissioning of coal-fired power plants. However, a few days ago, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans said EU countries may delay their withdrawal from coal to avoid Russian gas.
Replacing gas boilers or stoves with heat pumps is also an attractive option for industry, although implementation may take longer to scale up. Other options include more rooftop solar panels and decarbonising the industry with electricity and renewable hydrogen.
At the same time, Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, responsible for the European Green Deal, said that Poland and other Member States may decide to burn coal longer than planned and switch directly to renewable energy.
Romania’s Minister of the Environment Tanczos Barna also declared that Romania will have to temporarily restart the country’s coal-fired power plants.
Summary:
Changes in the energy landscape of Europe can be both a step forward and backward in the green transformation of the region. If we pay close attention there are opportunities to take decisive steps towards the development of renewable, low-emission energy sources. Otherwise, we may be in danger of returning to the use of poor-quality coal if citizens cannot afford innovative solutions.
Unfortunately, there is the potential to have a very negative impact on air quality in coal-based regions, where the introduction of renewable energy sources may be too slow, if at all.
Sources:
https://balkangreenenergynews.com/timmermans-eu-countries-can-delay-coal-phaseout-to-avoid-russian-gas/
https://www.iea.org/reports/a-10-point-plan-to-reduce-the-european-unions-reliance-on-russian-natural-gas
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/09/why-eu-didnt-include-nuclear-energy-in-plan-to-get-off-russian-gas.html
https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/03/09/europe-scrambles-to-keep-the-lights-on-as-it-sidelines-russian-gas