Browse by: "2009"

The Inernational Energy Agency's periodic review of Luxembourg's energy policies and programmes.  It analyses the energy challenges facing Luxembourg and provides critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements.

Since the last review in 2004, Luxembourg has reformed its energy policies across all sectors, has fully liberalised its electricity and natural gas markets, and is actively participating in the development of the evolving Central West European regional electricity system. Luxembourg has also prepared a broad action plan on energy efficiency, improved the support system for renewable energy sources and revised taxes to mitigate climate change.

The country’s energy policy in the coming decade will be shaped by the EU 2020 targets that call for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and strong increases in renewable energy and energy efficiency. These targets will be hard to meet, given that roughly half of energy-related CO₂ emissions come from transport fuel use by foreign truckers and motorists, and that Luxembourg’s potential for producing much more renewable energy is limited.

Luxembourg is heavily dependent on oil. Although oil sources are well diversified by country of origin, more than 85% of oil stocks are held in neighbouring countries and often based on short-term leasing contracts. This leaves the country vulnerable to potential oil supply disruptions. Luxembourg should swiftly implement a plan to improve the security of oil supply.

 

China’s coal, mined locally and available at a relatively low cost, has brought enormous benefits to energy consumers in China and to those outside the country who enjoy the products of its coal-based economy. Yet from another perspective, China’s coal use has a high cost. Despite progress, health and safety in the thousands of small coal mines lag far behind the standards achieved in China’s modern, large mines. Environmental degradation is a real and pressing problem at all stages of coal production, supply and use. Adding to these burdens, emissions of carbon dioxide are of concern to the Chinese government as it embarks on its own climate protection strategy.

Technology solutions are already transforming the way coal is used in China and elsewhere. This study explores the context in which the development and deployment of these technologies can be accelerated. Providing a large amount of new data, it describes in detail the situation in China as well as the experiences of other countries in making coal cleaner. Above all, the report calls for much greater levels of collaboration – existing bi-lateral and multi-lateral co-operation with China on coal is found lacking. China’s growing openness presents many commercial opportunities. Establishing a global market for cleaner coal technologies is key to unlocking the potential of technology – one of ten major recommendations made in this study.

This 2010 edition of Energy Technology Perspectives examines the extent to which an energy technology revolution is taking place, the key technologies that are emerging, the costs and benefits of these technologies, and policies needed to foster their use.

ETP 2010 presents updated scenarios from the present to 2050 that show which new technologies will be most important in key sectors and in different regions of the world. It highlights the importance of finance to achieve change, examines the implications of the scenarios for energy security and looks at how to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies in major developing countries. It presents roadmaps and transition pathways for spurring deployment of the most important clean technologies and for overcoming existing barriers.

With extensive data, projections and analysis, Energy Technology Perspectives 2010 provides decision makers with the detailed information and insights needed to accelerate the switch to a more secure, low-carbon energy future. 

This 2009 edition of Coal Information provides a comprehensive review of historical and current market trends in the world coal sector. It assembles essential statistics on coal production, reserves, demand, trade,  prices.

Part I of the publication provides a review of the world coal market in 2008, while Part II provides a statistical overview of developments, which covers world coal production and coal reserves, coal demand by type (hard, steam, coking), hard coal trade and hard coal prices. Part III provides, in tabular and graphic form, a more detailed and comprehensive statistical picture of historical and current coal developments in the 30 OECD member countries, by region and individually. Part IV provides for selected non-OECD countries summary statistics on hard coal supply and end-use statistics for about 40 countries and regions worldwide. Complete coal balances and coal trade data for selected years are presented on 16 major non-OECD coal producing and consuming countries. 

Renewables Information is the International Energy Agency's comprehensive annual review of historical and current market trends for renewable energy in OECD countries. This volume brings together essential statistics on renewable and waste energy sources.

Part I of the publication provides an overview of the development of renewables and waste in the world over the 1990 to 2007 period. A greater focus is given to OECD countries with a review of electricity generation and capacity from renewable and waste energy sources. Part II of the publication provides a corresponding statistical overview of developments in the world and OECD renewable and waste market. Part III provides, in tabular form, a more detailed and comprehensive picture of developments for renewable and waste energy sources for each of the 30 OECD member countries, including 2008 preliminary data. It encompasses energy indicators, generating capacity, electricity and heat production from renewable and waste sources, as well as production and consumption of renewables and waste.

 

Electricity Information is the International Energy Agency's comprehensive annual review of historical and current market trends in the OECD electricity sector, including 2008 preliminary data. This volume brings together essential statistics on electricity and heat.

Part I of the publication provides an overview of the world electricity developments in 2007, covering world electricity and heat production, input fuel mix, supply and consumption, and electricity imports and exports. A greater focus is given to OECD countries with more detailed information covering production, installed capacity, input energy mix to electricity and heat production, consumption, electricity trades, input fuel prices and end-user electricity prices.

Part II of the publication provides a corresponding statistical overview of developments in the world and OECD electricity and heat market, as well as monthly OECD production and trade electricity data for 2008.

Part III provides, in tabular form, detailed and comprehensive statistical coverage of the power and heat industry developments for each of the 30 OECD member countries and for OECD and IEA regional aggregates. It provides comprehensive statistical details on overall energy consumption, economic indicators, electricity and heat production by energy form and plant type, electricity imports and exports, sectoral energy and electricity consumption as well as prices for electricity and electricity input fuels for each country and regional aggregate.

The International Energy Agency's 2009 review of Portugal's energy policies and programmes.  This edition finds that Portugal has made considerable efforts to strengthen its energy policy since the last IEA in-depth review in 2004. A large number of IEA recommendations have been successfully implemented, including greater diversification of the energy mix and increased energy policy co-ordination. A new National Energy Strategy, published in October 2005, identified three principal means for meeting Portugal’s policy goals: the promotion of renewable energy, increased energy efficiency and competition in energy markets.

Over a short period of time, Portugal has become a leader in terms of renewable energy development.  Well-designed incentive mechanisms and the adoption of ambitious targets ensure hydro, wind and other technologies will continue to grow. The National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency was enacted in 2008, and Portugal aims to implement energy efficiency measures equivalent to 9.8% of total final energy consumption by 2015. This plan complements a well developed and co-ordinated climate change policy. Further steps have been taken towards the liberalisation of energy markets, including the innovative creation of a single operator for the transport of natural gas and electricity, natural gas storage and operation of the Sines LNG terminal.

Still, a number of challenges remain. Energy markets are not as competitive as policy makers may have wished, and energy research and development policy coordination needs to be strengthened.

This review provides sectoral critiques of existing policy and recommendations for further improvements. It is intended to serve as an indispensable guide for Portuguese policy makers as they travel along the path to a more sustainable energy future.

Electricity accounts for more than 40 % of global energy-related CO₂ emissions. This issue is most pressing for developing countries where growth in power demand is particularly high, fueling the risk of irreversible investment in CO₂-intensive capacity, the so-called “carbon lock-in”.

Sectoral Approaches in Electricity – Building Bridges to a Safe Climate shows how the international climate policy framework could effectively support a transition towards low-CO₂ electricity systems in developing countries. Sectoral approaches are intended to address sectors that require urgent actions, without waiting for countries to take nation-wide commitments.

Earlier IEA publications have extensively reviewed developed countries’ efforts to steer generation away from carbon-intensive production modes, from dedicated support to low-carbon technologies to, increasingly, the reliance on CO₂ pricing via emissions trading. Following the same logic, there are proposals seeking to use the international carbon market to drive changes at sectoral level in developing countries. This publication illustrates the pros and cons of such an approach in a few key emerging economies. It also asks how international climate policy could support and enhance ongoing efforts on end-use energy efficiency - an essential piece of the climate change/electricity puzzle.

Industry accounts for one-third of global energy use and almost 40% of worldwide CO₂ emissions.  Achieving substantial emissions reduction in the future will require urgent action from industry.  What are the likely future trends in energy use and CO₂ emissions from industry? What impact could the application of best available technologies have on these trends?  Which new technologies are needed if these sectors are to fully play their role in a more secure and sustainable energy future? 

Energy Technology Transitions for Industry addresses these questions through detailed sectoral and regional analyses, building on the insights of crucial IEA findings, such as Energy Technology Perspectives 2008: Scenarios and Strategies to 2050. It contains new indicators and methodologies as well as scenario results for the following sectors: iron and steel, cement, chemicals, pulp and paper and aluminium sectors. The report discusses the prospects for new low-carbon technologies and outlines potential technology transition paths for the most important industrial sectors.

This review analyses the energy challenges facing Spain and provides critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It finds that since the last IEA in-depth review in 2005, Spain has made significant progress in improving its energy policy. In Europe, the country is now leading in gas diversification and LNG development. Together with Portugal, it has set up the common Iberian electricity market, MIBEL, and has strong ambitions in developing it further. It has also become prominent in developing wind and solar energy technology, and succeeded in integrating large amounts of intermittent power in the electricity grid.

Along with other IEA member countries, Spain has set ambitious climate and energy security targets. Achieving these will require a transition to a low-carbon economy. Spain will need to increase its efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions, particularly in the transport but also the critical power sector. As fossil fuels still provide more than half of electricity,Spain will need to keep open all the options - including nuclear, renewables, and the technology of carbon capture and storage - for making its power sector less carbon-intensive. The country should also increase its efforts to limit peak electricity demand through energy efficiency.

Spain has substantially de-regulated its electricity and gas tariffs, and developed a financial plan to end the large deficit that had built up under the previous tariff regime. Prices for many small electricity users, however, are still regulated and low enough to potentially distort the market. In addition, the still remaining subsidies for domestic coal production should be eliminated and replaced by direct social policy measures.