In focus: More countries opting for renewables instead of fossil fuels

More and more countries around the world are preparing to shift to renewable energy and gradually quit the fossil fuel game with dozens of new commitments, projects, and initiatives announced in the week behind us.

Sweden has decided to ban the extraction of coal, oil and natural gas and tighten rules on the extraction from alum shale. The ban is set to enter into force on 1 July 2022.

A landmark decision was announced on 5 June as the world was celebrating World Environment Day. This year’s campaign #OnlyOneEarth calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to protect and restore our planet. According to the Swedish government, measures against the extraction of substances that are harmful to health and the environment are needed.

The move is said to be an important step in the process of transitioning to a fossil-free society.

“We are tightening environmental legislation by banning the extraction of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Breaking the entire chain of fossil dependence, from extraction to use, is crucial for Sweden to continue to be a leader in the climate transition,” said Minister for Climate and the Environment Annika Strandhäll.

Another European country, the Netherlands, is looking into whether areas of the North Sea could be used simultaneously for offshore wind and carbon capture and storage (CCS) developments.

According to a study performed by Fugro, offshore wind farms and CCS projects in the Dutch sector of the North Sea can coexist; however, safety of such future developments needs to be ensured.

The study comes shortly after the Netherlands, which has two CCS projects planned for its North Sea waters, doubled its 2030 offshore wind target and, together with three other EU member states, pledged to have massive offshore wind capacity in 2050.

While countries are stepping up efforts to become fossil-free, resistance to fossil fuels is growing at the same time – especially in the EU.

On 7 June, four environmental groups said they are starting legal action to end support for 30 EU-backed gas projects with a total cost of about €13 billion (nearly $14 billion).

ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth Europe, Food & Water Action Europe, and CEE Bankwatch Network said the EU Commission has given these “climate-destructive projects” a VIP status, in contradiction to its legal obligations.

According to the environmental groups, billions of euros will be spent on 30 major pieces of gas infrastructure like the EastMed pipeline – a €7 billion, 1,900km gas pipeline that will connect Eastern Mediterranean offshore gas fields from Israel and Cyprus to Italy via Greece.

On the U.S. continent, a decision that is seen as a step forward to ending offshore drilling has been made in California.

U.S. federal appeals court has issued a ruling in favour of upholding a ban on offshore fracking in federal waters off the California coast, explaining that the federal government needs to complete a full environmental review prior to issuing approved permits for offshore oil and gas drilling platforms.

Commenting on this ruling, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, remarked: “Today’s decision is a win for our communities, our environment, and the rule of law. Offshore drilling – particularly fracking – pollutes our waterways, damages our environment, and exacerbates climate change. We saw the risks of offshore drilling first hand with the Huntington Beach oil spill last year, and we see it every day in the form of the climate crisis.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed it will fund the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $8 billion programme to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs) across America.

H2Hubs will create networks of hydrogen producers, consumers, and infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier.

DOE says the production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen is crucial to its strategy for achieving President Biden’s goal of a 100 per cent clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Clean hydrogen was the central topic this week in the UAE and Japan, too, as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), ENEOS, and Mitsui formed a joint study agreement to begin evaluating the development of clean hydrogen supply chain between UAE and Japan.

Moving to the Asia-Pacific front, a major renewable energy zone (REZ) is to be developed in Australia. This week, energy project developers and businesses with large electrical loads were invited to express their interest and take part in developing the REZ.

The government of the New South Wales (NSW) plans to deliver the state’s first five REZs in the Central-West Orana, New England, South-West, Hunter-Central Coast, and Illawarra regions, as set out in the state’s Electricity Strategy, and Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.

In New Zealand, coinciding with World Ocean Day, more than 35,000 people signed a petition calling on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to ban seabed mining in waters off the coast of New Zealand. The aim is to protect the health of the ocean, petitioners said.

“Seabed mining is a highly destructive industry that bulldozes the seafloor, releasing carbon and harming the ocean and the creatures who call it home,” said Greenpeace campaigner James Hita. “We’re calling on the government to ban seabed mining in the waters of Aotearoa immediately.”

European countries open doors for renewable energy deployment

This week, several initiatives focused on clean energy solutions were announced in Europe.

In Belgium, American hydrogen company Plug Power will build a 35-tonnes-per-day green hydrogen generation plant at Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

Due to its proximity to the North Sea and transport connections to several European countries, the port is set on becoming a major hydrogen hub for Europe. Through its new green hydrogen plant, Plug is committed to playing a pivotal role in helping the port achieve this ambition.

In France, EEL Energy has tested its commercial-scale 50kW tidal energy turbine in the Port of Brest.

Based on the concept of bio-mimicry, EEL Energy’s tidal energy converter has been designed to replicate the undulating movements of marine life to produce clean power. The results of tests in the Port of Brest have enabled the company to validate the design of the machine, which is 10 times more powerful than the prototypes tested earlier, according to EEL Energy.

Also in France, Swiss technology company ABB has been selected to lead a consortium providing shore-to-ship power connection for ferries and cruise ships in the Port of Toulon, which is said to be the first Mediterranean port to supply power to all of its docks.

The port is also central to the “Zero-smoke stopovers” plan by the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Région Sud PACA), which aims to electrify the docks of Toulon, Marseille and Nice to enable emission-free stays for vessels.

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