Advanced fossil fuel production
Fossil fuel power plants produce the majority of electricity in the EU, mainly through pulverised coal (PC) combustion. But most pulverised coal plants are over 15 years old and are relatively inefficient. As fossil fuel power generation is the biggest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, any gains in conversion efficiency would translate to substantial carbon dioxide savings. Using the best available technologies, such as ‘advanced supercritical plants’ and ‘ultra-supercritical plants’, can increase efficiency by allowing higher steam conditions (temperature and pressure). Combined cycle plants using natural gas or biomass in pulverised coal power plants, and Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants, which turn coal into gas, can potentially reduce emissions even further, especially with carbon capture.
Most pulverised coal steam plants operate with sub-critical steam parameters and efficiencies between 32-40%. Supercritical plants with steam conditions of 540°C and 300 bar have been in commercial operation for a number of years, with efficiencies of 40-45%. When best technologies are used, as in ‘advanced supercritical’ plants, with steam conditions up to 600°C and 300 bar, net efficiencies of 46-49% should be achieved. These technologies require stronger and more corrosion resistant steels, but potential efficiency savings offset their extra cost.
'Materials Roadmap Enabling Low-Carbon Energy Technologies' published 03/01/2012
Materials are at the core of industrial innovation and enable it. The materials presented in this new Roadmap complement and expand the technology roadmaps developed in the context of the SET-Plan as the basis for its implementation. It puts forward key materials research and innovation activities to advance energy technologies for the next 10 years.
Horizon 2020: in tandem with SET-Plan to achieve 2020 targets 13/12/2011
Earlier this month Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn announced Horizon 2020, an EUR 80 billion programme to help achieve Europe's 2020 targets, which includes a package of measures to boost research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe.
2011 Technology Map of the SET-Plan now available 08/12/2011
The third edition of the Technology Map, i.e. the 2011 update, addresses 20 different technologies, covering the whole spectrum of the energy system, including both supply and demand technologies.
SET-Plan Conference 2011:the future of energy depends on research and financing 30/11/2011
The Warsaw conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) began on 28th November - the same day as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, at which representatives of the world’s largest economies are discussing the future of limiting the world emission of carbon dioxide.
Renewable Energy Snapshots 2011 - a report by the JRC Institute for Energy & Transport 17/11/2011
The 'Renewable Energy Snapshots' are based on various data providers, including grey data sources, and try to give an overview about the latest developments and trends in different renewable energy technologies.
European Commission Roadmap to Resource Efficiency published 14/10/2011
Last month the European Commission published its ‘Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe’. The Roadmap contains a series of medium- (2020) and long-term (2050) resource efficiency objectives as well as the means needed for achieving them, including targets by 2013 and milestones for 2020.
Download the SETIS brochure - new in the Library 25/07/2011
What is SETIS? How does SETIS support the SET-Plan? Download the new informational brochure (available in English, Dutch and Italian), which looks at how SETIS provides information for decision-making by monitoring progress of the SET-Plan.
ATEsT online newsletters 12/07/2011
ATEsT (Analysing Transition Planning and Systemic Energy Planning Tools for the implementation of the Energy Technology Information System) brings together EU competence on a transition towards a low-carbon energy system through energy innovation, energy modelling activities and technology assessment.
New European Energy Efficiency Fund launched 05/07/2011
On 1st July 2011, the Commission launched a new European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEE-F) as part of the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR).
European Commission adopts Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 31/03/2011
On 8th March 2011, the EC adopted its Communication, "Energy Efficiency Plan 2011", which puts energy efficiency at the heart of the Europe 2020 Strategy for what it calls “smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and the transition to a resource efficient economy.”
EESC calls for a common EU external policy on energy 31/03/2011
In a communiqué issued on 18th March 2011, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls on the European Union to consider the security of its energy supply as one of the priorities of its external policy. The recommendation is one of the results of an Opinion on energy supply and neighbourhood policy commissioned by the current Hungarian EU presidency.
EESC Conference on Energy Security 31/03/2011
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is holding a conference in Pécs (Hungary) on 29th April 2011 on how EU energy policy can ensure security of supply and how we can strengthen the external dimension of EU energy policy.
Successful Belgian Presidency conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) 18/11/2010
The Belgian presidency and the European Commission organised the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan Conference 2010. More than 500 stakeholders from industry and research institutes and European and national policymakers from across Europe gathered in Brussels for the fourth edition of the SET-Plan conference. The main objectives were the launch of the next two European Industrial Initiatives: Bioenergy and Sustainable Nuclear Energy, and the kick-off of the international cooperation dimension within the SET-Plan.
France, UK, Germany issue joint call for 30% CO2 cuts 22/07/2010
Ministers from the UK, France and Germany have issued a joint call for the EU to raise its emission reduction target to 30% by 2020.
Renewables account for 62% of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU in 2009 22/07/2010
The ‘Renewable Energy Snapshots’ report, published in July 2010 by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), shows that renewable energy sources accounted for 62%, or 17GW, of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU27 in 2009. This is up from 57% in 2008.
European Parliament roundtable: At the intersection of financing and policy – investing in low-carbon energy technologies in the EU 04/06/2010
Despite the effects of the global economic crisis, investment in low-carbon technologies has remained comparatively stable in recent years. The crisis has, however, reinforced the importance of the financial impetus needed to bring low-carbon energy technologies on stream.
Financing the development and installation of low-carbon energy is currently a political priority, but increased investment for these energy technologies is needed at both EU and international levels.
Strategic energy technologies
- - Advanced fossil fuel production
- - Biofuels
- - Bioenergy
- - Cement energy efficiency
- - Carbon capture and storage
- - Cogeneration of heat and power
- - Concentrated solar power
- - Electricity grids
- - Electricity storage in the power sector
- - Fuel cells and hydrogen
- - Geothermal power
- - Hydropower
- - Nuclear fission power
- - Nuclear fusion power
- - Ocean wave power
- - Road transport efficiency
- - Solar heating and cooling
- - Solar photovoltaic
- - Wind energy
