European Union News - Energy

The European Commission adopted a Communication on security of energy supply and international cooperation. According to the Commission, this Communication sets out for the first time a comprehensive strategy for the EU's external relations in energy which has as main goal to improve coordination among EU Member States in such field.

The world's largest magnetic confinement fusion device, the Joint European Torus (JET), goes back to work following a 22-month period where the device was out of action whilst being upgraded and commissioned. Thanks to this device the European scientists are about to embark on the first round of experiments of fusion power as a safe, clean, and virtually limitless energy source for future generations.

The European Commission announced a new assistance package for Jordan will provide critical support to education, renewable energy and the implementation of the country's European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. With this package, the Commission intends to provide new training for teachers and help to build new centres for special needs education.

A consortium of researchers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Finland and the United Kingdom set out to redesign engines, so that they could adapt to non-conventional fuels. They tackled the challenge by rethinking each component's finishing, as opposed to modifying their traditional structures. With this idea the team has come up with a solution that could eliminate the corrosive effect of biofuel and restore faith in biofuels.

British scientists say that plastic solar cells can be printed to create cling-film-like substances that can be 'spread' to make 'ultra-cheap solar energy panels for domestic and industrial use'. The cheap and efficient polymer solar cells that can cover huge areas could help move us into a new age of renewable energy, according the scientists.

New European research has shown that a North Sea wind farm provided a new natural habitat for organisms living on the seabed and it has little negative effect on the fauna around it. This North-Sea wind farm, which has the total capacity to provide energy for up to 100,000 households, contributed significantly to the biodiversity of the area, with their research turning up organisms such as mussels, anemones and crabs. Furthermore, the Dutch researchers warn that the impact of a wind farm depends on its location and on the depth of the surrounding sea.

Fusion for Energy (F4E) and COMSA EMTE, a Spanish company with a proven track record in the field of construction have signed a contract for building the ITER platform which aims to become one of Europe’s biggest engineering sites. The objective of the contract, which is expected to run for at least one year and with a budget of approximately €11 millions to make the necessary adaptations on the ITER site, deliver the required amenities for a workforce of 3,000 people.

According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, in June 2011 compared with May 2011, prices in total industry excluding the energy sector increased by 0.1% in both the euro area and the EU. However, prices in the energy sector fell by 0.3% and 0.2% respectively.

According to the European Commission the sustainability of biofuels needs to be checked by Member States or through voluntary schemes. The Commission recognised seven such voluntary schemes within the highest sustainability standards in the world. With these schemes, biofuels can represent an environmentally-friendly replacement of fossil fuels.