Second Update of April 2019 – An overview of last week’s Energy news

(Click a bullet point to open the relevant article)

Monday – 8th April

• Russia has become a significant player in global LNG market capturing 8% of international market in just a year. From its Arctic plant it can take gas east to Asian markets or west into Europe.

Tuesday – 9th April

• UK expects to have short periods where natural gas is not required for electricity generation by 2025 due to growth of renewables.

• Germany considers natural gas as transition from nuclear/coal economy to future low carbon: “Energiewende” (Energy Transition) is federal policy.

Wednesday – 10th April

• International Energy Agency (IEA) report shows global energy trends for 2018. Annual energy demand was highest in a decade. 45% of growth was from natural gas. Renewables account for 25% of global electricity generation (2nd after coal). Net effect: 1.7% increase in carbon emissions.

• Hydrocarbon Engineering Magazine reports Cornwall Insight work indicating major change to UK gas supply with shift to greater dependence upon LNG. LNG supplies are becoming more diverse and cost is dropping in the near-term.

Thursday – 11th April

• Joint UK and Scottish Government ‘summit’ has been announced for 2nd May in Edinburgh to focus upon securing better UK share of jobs for growing offshore wind industry.

• GMB Union calls on UK governments to be ‘far more aggressive and restless’ in securing jobs at home in light of announcement of joint Scottish/UK Government summit on offshore renewables.

Friday – 12th April

• A new record for generating electricity in the UK without coal. Almost a full month in total in first quarter of 2019. This is more than 2017 total and happened during winter months.

• From UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), a review of emissions in the scenario where future heating uses hydrogen and not natural gas. Report states that LNG imports generate approximately double the greenhouse gas emissions of the same volume of domestic gas.

• Carbon Brief summarises BEIS report on emissions: Concludes that about 50% of electricity will be provided by renewable power by 2025. Graphic shows growth levelling out for the following 10 years. Electricity is about one fifth of total UK energy which is dominated by transport and heating.

• The BEIS report on energy and emissions projections… all 43 pages of it.