Creating common energy policies across Europe
Growing electricity needs, large increases in fossil fuel prices and the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have pushed research into alternative energy sources. Natural gas, nuclear power and hydrogen are among the most popular energy alternatives that are being considered by European countries. As a result, it is of paramount importance to devise an integrated strategy regarding the production and supply of these energy sources. To address these issues, a large consortium of energy stakeholders was formed under the the ‘Coordinating energy security of supply actions’ (CESSA) project. The main aim was to examine the security of supply of natural gas, nuclear power and hydrogen production. Among the project’s objectives was to analyse the financing and investment mechanisms in the energy field and assess the policies and legislative aspects concerning energy production at a regional and international level. The growth of the EU over the years has divided the opinion on nuclear energy. However, the CESSA project pinpointed that although the anti-nuclear front may be decreasing, it was not accompanied by research support on next generation nuclear energy systems. Therefore it was suggested that for Europe to be actively involved in nuclear energy generation, concerted efforts were required for addressing security, environmental and economic issues. Hydrogen production can be achieved from fossil fuel by water electrolysis, requiring however significant reduction costs and improvements in efficiency in order to become an economically viable option. Alternatively, hydrogen production could be provided through nuclear energy provided safety and environmental impact issues are met for nuclear plants. The CESSA consortium advised that increased research and development in the field of hydrogen production were necessary in order to exploit novel hydrogen technologies as future energy systems. Overall, the CESSA consortium, after reviewing the current energy state, proposed coordinated policies and cooperative actions in energy production and supply across Europe. Project conclusions are expected to contribute to a financially feasible, environmentally friendly energy policy across Europe.