The European Commission’s energy supremo, Estonian Kadri Simson, recently visited Ukraine to discuss what can be done to help energy infrastructure damaged in Russian missile attacks. She details plans to transfer specialised machinery and devices to Ukraine through a dedicated fund. The Commissioner also updates us on the negotiations among EU member states on a possible price cap on gas imports – a potential response to Europe's energy crisis.
Simson outlined the EU's help for Ukraine's damaged energy infrastructure, saying: "Where Ukrainian engineers can’t do the repairs themselves, they need specific equipment. Equipment that is not very common in Western Europe; only a couple of international companies are producing these kinds of substations. There are dozens of companies that might have these substations in their storage. The European Commission, together with the European energy community, has set up a dedicated fund so that we can transport this specific machinery and devices to the most needed locations in Ukraine. Right now, there are millions of households without electricity, without heat, as the winter actually arrives."
Asked about a possible gas price cap this winter, the Commissioner said: "If we receive a mandate from national ministers, we will set up a benchmark cap that we can activate when the prices are excessively high. Since August the gas market price has come down. Our underground gas storage is full. We’ve attracted alternative gas supplies from trusted partners to replace Russian lost volumes. And national ministers agreed that we will consume less natural gas. All these steps have already helped us to target this very difficult situation. But still, this winter will be difficult, and for that reason a price cap is necessary."
Simson also addressed energy diversification and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), saying: "Between February and September we have attracted plus 28.5 billion cubic metres of additional LNG, but we have also negotiated with our trusted partners, with whom we have pipeline connections – Norway, Algeria, Azerbaijan – and they have also increased their volume significantly. We have also received 24 billion cubic metres of gas via pipelines. This has helped us."
'We also need to prioritise energy savings and the fuel switch'
She continued: "But we also need to prioritise energy savings and the fuel switch, so where we can replace natural gas with electricity or renewables we should do so. That means my biggest priority will be to support national governments in their work to accelerate the clean transition."
The Commissioner also stressed the importance of green hydrogen, saying: "Hydrogen priority corridors are very prominently present in our future investment plans. We are naming three priority corridors inside Europe: the Iberian Peninsula, the North Sea, and also Ukraine. And on top of that international cooperation with our neighbours and trading partners."
Finally, Simson encouraged the technique of carbon capture: "Carbon capture and usage is a strategy that is needed to meet the 1.5 °C objective [enshrined in the 2015 Paris agreement]. We have already financed some of the promising projects under the innovation fund, and we will launch new calls, so that our industry can receive additional financing so that they can capture the C02 and store it either in depleted gas fields, or ship it to Norway."
Produced by Sophie Samaille, Perrine Desplats and Isabelle Romero
