EC's Arias Canete: Gas is 'Important' Transition Fuel

EU climate action and energy commissioner Miguel Arias Canete will speak on March 23 at a Eurogas conference in Bratislava about the role of gas in central and eastern Europe's energy transition. The same day, TSOs in Brussels are expected to agree to build an offshore reef to link wind farms.

"Politicians and legislators, but also the gas industry, should grasp the opportunities that the 'Clean Energy for All Europeans' package offers for the gas sector," he said March 22 ahead of his speech: "They should provide their input in the form of innovation as well as diversification of gas supplies and routes to ensure that the gas sector can fulfill its potential in the energy transition." The commission's package was proposed November 30 last year.

Gas will play an important role, said Arias Canete, as EU countries make the transition to clean energy and use more renewable energy: "As a relatively low-carbon fossil fuel that can easily be stored, gas can be used to back up supplies of renewables that may vary according to the weather." 

Uniper CEO and Eurogas chairman Klaus Schafer, Slovakian economy minister Peter Ziga, and Arias Canete will make keynote speeches in Bratislava.

EU commissoners Arias Canete (left) with Sefcovic (Photo credit: European Commission)

European Commission (EC) vice-president for energy union, Maros Sefcovic, will speak at a 10-nation 'North Sea Energy Forum' March 23 in Brussels where, according to the EC, the Dutch, Danish and German power transmission system operators (TSOs) will sign an agreement to develop a 'North Sea Wind Power Hub' -- involving construction of a large artificial island in the North Sea that will link wind farms and transmit the electricity generated there to the entire North Sea region.

Mark Smedley