The Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (ANKASAM) conducted an interview with Maryna Hritsyshyna, Senior Regulatory Expert at Hydrogenios LOHC Technologies, to research the reflections of the changing political climate in Europe on energy policies and how technological alternatives will affect global energy policies.
1. How might government changes in major economies like Germany, France, and Italy shape the EU’s energy transition?
Government changes in these countries can slow down or accelerate the EU’s energy transition. At the same time the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium play active roles in reaching of the energy transition targets in the EU.
According to a recent Coalition Agreement of the new German Government, all targets for the energy transition will be subject to performance. This means that changes in German government shall not have a negative impact on the EU energy transition.
2. How might new governments and political trends reshape the EU’s global energy diplomacy?
The EU’s global energy diplomacy depends on governments of other countries. The current situation with the US is a good example such changes. The US changed the focus from hydrogen on fossil fuels and these changes will have a certain impact on the EU’s global diplomacy.
3. How could European elections influence renewable energy investments and carbon tax policies?
A new European Commission supports competitiveness of clean technologies and proceeds the development of the EU ETS. This means that the last European elections did not change of the main priorities in deployment of renewables and reaching of climate-neutrality of the EU by 2050.
4. How has the war in Ukraine changed Europe’s energy security policies?
The main strategic document about the changes in the EU energy security policies was REPowerEU Plan adopted in 2022. This document included the plans about decrease of natural gas consumption and shift to the renewable hydrogen.
5. What do you think about the feasibility of the REPowerEU plan? Does it have the potential to achieve its goals?
The REPowerEU Plan is a communication of the European Commission. This document does not impose any obligations on the EU Member States. It just clarifies the main strategy and all targets for renewable energy and H2 were defined in the amendments to the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).
6. Has the transition to renewable energy accelerated after the Ukraine crisis, or are short-term fossil fuel investments taking priority?
In 2022-2023 there was some acceleration in the transition to renewable energy in the EU. Within last year the hydrogen economy slowed down in the EU due to political crisis in Germany and other countries and general political situation in the world.
7. How has the EU’s stance on hydrogen, nuclear energy, and carbon capture technologies evolved?
The EU supports all these technologies and will support in the future. There is only differences in the opinion of some EU countries regarding nuclear energy, France supports it but Germay refused from nuclear. Hydrogen and CCU/S will develop in the EU.
8. What will be the biggest determining factors in European energy policies over the next decade?
I guess the targets about climate-neutrality by 2050 and intermediate climate goals.
