Liquefied Natural Gas for Europe - Some Important Issues for Consideration

The delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from various suppliers by sea, as an alternative to pipeline shipments and supplies, is seen as a way to secure and diversify natural gas imports in the EU. The purpose of this study is to investigate four main issues that may have a significant impact on future patterns of LNG supply and demand in the EU by 2020-2030. These four issues are: 1) Security, diversity and affordability of natural gas supply; 2) Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions; 3) LNG quality and 4) Shipping of LNG.JRC.F.7-Energy systems evaluatio

Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Carbon Dioxide in the European Energy System

Enhanced oil recovery using carbon dioxide (CO2-EOR) is a method that can increase oil production beyond what is typically achievable using conventional recovery methods by injecting, and hence storing, carbon dioxide (CO2) in the oil reservoir. This report indicates that the maximum technical potential for increased oil recovery is significant while the CO2 storage capacity is relatively small. A detailed economic analysis suggests that at the oil rpcies of today and with a financial incentive for CO2 storage, a number of CO2-EOR operations could be viable in the North Sea. These projects can contribute to the improvement of the European security of supply by increasing indigenous oil production, and assist in the reduction of GHG emissions and catalyse the development of decarbonised energy conversion technologies by providing the means for safe and permanent storage of CO2.JRC.F.2-Cleaner energie

Modelling Urban scale Retrofit, Pathways to 2050 Low Carbon Residential Building Stock

A bottom up engineering modelling approach has been used to investigate the pathways to 2050 low carbon residential building stock. The impact of housing retrofit, renewable technologies, occupant behaviour, and grid decarbonisation is measured at a local authority scale. The results of this exercise were visualised using a client web application, or ‘demonstrator,’ which was developed to allow stakeholders to engage with the modelling process

Venture Capital Financing and Green Patenting

This paper explores the role of green innovation in attracting venture capital (VC) financing. We use a unique dataset that matches information on equity transactions, companies’ balance sheet variables and data on patented innovation at the firm level over the period 2008–2017. Taking advance of a novel granular definition of green innovative activities that tracks patents at the firm level, we show that green innovators are more likely to receive VC funding compared to other equity financing than firms without green patents. Likewise, a larger share of green vs. non-green patents in a firm’s patent portfolio increases the probability of receiving VC finance with respect to other equity. Robustness checks and extensions tackling several dimensions of heterogeneity confirm the attractiveness of green patenting for VC investment

Transport and Environment Database System (TRENDS): Maritime Air Pollutant Emission Modelling

This paper reports the development of the maritime module within the framework of the Transport and Environment Database System (TRENDS) project. A detailed database has been constructed for the calculation of energy consumption and air pollutant emissions. Based on an in-house database of commercial vessels kept at the Technical University of Denmark, relationships between the fuel consumption and size of different vessels have been developed, taking into account the fleet's age and service speed. The technical assumptions and factors incorporated in the database are presented, including changes from findings reported in Methodologies for Estimating air pollutant Emissions from Transport (MEET). The database operates on statistical data provided by Eurostat, which describe vessel and freight movements from and towards EU 15 major ports. Data are at port to Maritime Coastal Area (MCA) level, so a bottom-up approach is used. A port to MCA distance database has also been constructed for the purpose of the study. This was the first attempt to use Eurostat maritime statistics for emission modelling; and the problems encountered, since the statistical data collection was not undertaken with a view to this purpose, are mentioned. Examples of the results obtained by the database are presented. These include detailed air pollutant emission calculations for bulk carriers entering the port of Helsinki, as an example of the database operation, and aggregate results for different types of movements for France. Overall estimates of SOx and NOx emission caused by shipping traffic between the EU 15 countries are in the area of 1 and 1.5 million tonnes, respectively

Energy R&I financing and patenting trends in the EU: Country dashboards 2017 edition

The report monitors the progress made by EU Member States concerning two key indicators identified in the Integrated Strategic Energy Technology Plan Communication, namely the level investment in R&I (by both the public and private sector) and trends in patents. To do so, a collection of country dashboards are presented containing the relevant information, summarised for each EU Member State and SET Plan action, providing a quick overview of each EU Member State within the European framework. The information presented is produced according to the JRC in-house methodology for monitoring R&I in Low Carbon Energy Technologies and is consistent with the R&I indicators included in the 3rd State of the Energy Union Report.JRC.C.7-Knowledge for the Energy Unio

Regional performance in the Research, Innovation and Competitiveness Priorities of the Energy Union

The Energy Union is one of the 10 political priorities of the current Commission; and comprises five closely interlinked dimensions, the fifth of which addresses research, innovation and competitiveness (RIC). Trends in patents are among the key performance indicators monitored annually to evaluate the contribution of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) to the objectives of the Energy Union in a quantifiable way, as part of the reporting on the State of the Energy Union. At regional level, the Commission has called on the relevant authorities to develop smart specialisation strategies for research and innovation, encouraging all European regions to identify their areas of competitive advantage, where research and innovation investment under cohesion policy could be prioritised. This document provides an overview of regional performance in the Research, Innovation and Competitiveness Priorities of the Energy Union through maps.JRC.C.7-Knowledge for the Energy Unio

Integrated methodologies of economics and socio-economics assessments in ocean renewable energy : private and public perspectives

This paper offers a holistic approach to the evaluation of an ocean renewable energy (ORE) technology type or specific project in order to provide a comprehensive assessment of both narrow economic and broader socio-economic performance. This assessment incorporates methods from three pillars areas: Economic - financial returns and efficient use of resources, Social - employment, social and community cohesion and identity, and Environmental - including the physical environment and pollution. These three pillars are then considered in the broader context of governance. In order to structure this evaluation, a novel parameter space model was created, defined by the three pillars and by the scale of the system under assessment. The scale of the system ranged from individual components of an ORE project; to projects comprising of a number of devices; through to a geographic regions in which multiple farms may be deployed. The parameter space consists of an inner circle representing the boundary of interest for a private investor, or a firm, developing an ORE project. The outer circle is characterised by assessment tools typically employed at the broader stakeholder level including economic, social, and environmental methods that can be employed at local, regional or national scale and which are typically employed to inform policy and decision making regarding ORE. Governance sets the stage within which management occurs. Wider impacts to the firm undertaking the project will take into account “externalities” of the project across the three fields. In this model, key methods identified are mapped onto this parameter space and the connectivity explored. The paper demonstrates that the three pillars are inter-connected and each must be considered in any meaningful assessment of ORE sustainability. An integrated assessment approach has the ability to address both the private and the public aspects of an ORE development,. This analysis provides insights on existing best practice, but also reveals the potential for disconnect between an ORE project’s commercial viability and its contribution to environmental and social goals

China: Challenges and Prospects from an Industrial and Innovation Powerhouse

China is rapidly becoming a major industrial competitor in high tech and growth sectors. Its economic success and related industrial policies have received a high degree of attention, especially in light of its capacity to challenge the leading position of advanced economies in several fields. China aims, through the 'Made in China 2025' strategy, to become a world leader in key industrial sectors. In these sectors, it strives to strengthen its domestic innovation capacity, to reduce its reliance on foreign technologies while moving up in global value chains. This report analyses China's approach to attain a dominant position in international markets through a combination of industrial, R&I, trade and foreign direct investment policies. It offers an assessment of China's current position compared to the EU and US innovation systems across a range of dimensions. It concludes that China has become a major industrial competitor in several rapidly expanding high tech sectors, which may well result in attaining China's goal of becoming an innovation leader in specific areas. As a response, the EU will need to boost its industrial and R&I performance and develop a trade policy that can ensure a level playing field for EU companies in China and for Chinese companies in the EU.JRC.B.7-Knowledge for Finance, Innovation and Growt

The future of road transport

A perfect storm of new technologies and new business models is transforming not only our vehicles, but everything about how we get around, and how we live our lives. The JRC report “The future of road transport - Implications of automated, connected, low-carbon and shared mobility” looks at some main enablers of the transformation of road transport, such as data governance, infrastructures, communication technologies and cybersecurity, and legislation. It discusses the potential impacts on the economy, employment and skills, energy use and emissions, the sustainability of raw materials, democracy, privacy and social fairness, as well as on the urban context. It shows how the massive changes on the horizon represent an opportunity to move towards a transport system that is more efficient, safer, less polluting and more accessible to larger parts of society than the current one centred on car ownership. However, new transport technologies, on their own, won't spontaneously make our lives better without upgrading our transport systems and policies to the 21st century. The improvement of governance and the development of innovative mobility solutions will be crucial to ensure that the future of transport is cleaner and more equitable than its car-centred present.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor