gas

The EU spent more in Russian oil and gas that in helping Ukraine

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They are fulfilled three years since Russia began its invasion In Ukraine. During this time, The economic impact is still deep In both countries. Although general attention has been logically focused on human suffering, these days economic figures have been disclosed that reveal the magnitude of the damage: Ukraine records An annual inflation of 12%, while in Russia it reaches 9.5%. Numbers that show the persistence of economic deterioration on both sides. And next to this, another fact: Europe has invested more in Russia than in Ukraine. The “dependence” to Russia. A recent Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA): The European Union has allocated More money to the purchase of Russian fossil fuels than to direct financial support granted to Ukraine During the third year of the conflict caused by the Russian invasion. According to the analysis presented on the occasion of the third anniversary of the war, the EU spent approximately 21.9 billion euros in Russian oil and gas Only in the last year of conflict, significantly higher than The 18.7 billion euros delivered to Ukraine In financial aid for 2024, according to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IFW Kiel). The data has many readings, but the main one is paradoxical, since the situation highlights a deep contradiction between the European verbal support to Ukraine and the concrete economic actions that indirectly benefit the Vladimir Putin regime, providing essential income to sustain its military campaign. Historical figures and comparisons. The numbers are even more striking when the total expenditure on Russian fossil fuels by Europe is observed throughout the last year (2024), which exceeded 39% the financial aid assigned to Ukraine. In addition, the report emphasizes that Russia has obtained global income equivalent to 242,000 million euros only for energy exports During the third full year of the conflict, bringing their total profits from the beginning of the invasion to figures near the billion euros. In other words, European agency is especially critical when considering that Russia receives up to half of its fiscal income directly from the energy sector. The economist Christoph Trebesch of the IFW Kiel, although he did not participate directly in the analysis, The surprising gap remarked between the help mobilized for Ukraine and the economic support granted in previous historical conflicts. For example, Germany was considerably more generous during Kuwait’s liberation (1990-1991) compared to the provisions of Ukraine so far, measured proportionally in terms of national GDP. Consequences of energy dependence. The data leads to the same conclusion: the report underlines how this unit follows indirectly promoting war in Ukraine by economically sustaining the Russian government. Vaibhav Raghunandan, co -author of the study, explicitly declared that buying Russian fossil fuels It is practically equivalent to finance the Kremlinfacilitating the continuity of his military aggression. In addition, the Russia’s ability to overcome sanctions economic imposed by the West through its so -called “shadow fleet”of which We have spoken before (A fleet of old ships) allows the country to maintain approximately one third of its income from fossil fuel exports. The European response: sanctions and challenges. It is the last of the legs to be treated: what does Europe do? In reaction to these realities, European ambassadors recently approved new measures in its 16th round of sanctions against Russiadirected specifically against that “shadow fleet.” The report also warns that, strengthening existing sanctions and closing some legal gaps, The EU could reduce Russian income up to 20% from these fuels. In particular, he recommends close the so -called “refinement lagoon” (Through which Europe can acquire Russian oil processed in third countries), as well as even more restricting the Russian gas flow Through the Turkstream gas pipeline. In addition, the report indicates another emerging problem in European energy trade: The growing dependence on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). Although The EU has considerably reduced imports Russian gas channeled since the beginning of the conflict, partially compensated this decrease through greater imports of Russian LNG, which reached record figures in 2022, placing Russia as The second most important exporter From this type of gas to Europe. The war three years later. I counted in A report the Guardian On the economy of both countries since the beginning of the conflict that, in a Moscow key, traditional economic indicators seem to favor Russia. Although initially the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell -1.3%, has shown a solid recovery in the last two years, growing at 3.6% annual according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Instead, the Ukrainian economy suffered a dramatic collapse of 36% in mid -2022, closing that year with a 28.3% drop. Although Ukraine has managed to partially recover with growth rates of 5.3% in 2023 and 3% in 2024, its national income still remains 20% below the levels prior to invasion. Resiliation and perspectives. Despite adversities, Ukraine resilience has been remarkable. Christopher Dent, professor of international economy, argues that Ukraine has better long -term perspectives of what Russian propaganda affirms. A concrete example is the recovery of the Ukrainian electricity sector, which after The attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in 2023 (which caused losses of at least 2 billion dollars), has significantly increased its electrical exports to Moldova, Hungary and Romania, integrating more closely into the European energy network. Maritime trade through the Black Sea and the Danube continues to work, and agriculture also shows clear signs of recovery. The future potential of Ukraine also lies in its wide mineral resources, including metal deposits valued at about 11 billion dollars. On the other hand, tax collection has improved substantially, with significant increases in corporate taxes and consumptionalso supported by international IMF and Western agencies. Bad? On the other sidewalk and despite these advances, the Ukrainian economy faces huge structural challenges. The most important: the labor market remains negatively affected, with An unemployment rate of 16.8%aggravated by mass migration abroad and mandatory military recruitment. The adaptibility of Russia. For its part, Moscow, Despite international isolationhas demonstrated a … Read more

There is a cosmic network of “roads” formed by gas and dark matter filaments. We have just captured it from Chile

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We know well that matter is not distributed in a form of all homogeneous throughout the observable universe. The galaxies like the one we live are great clusters of matter in which the stars are born and died, and with them other objects such as planets and asteroids. However, that is only part of the story. In sight. A group of researchers has achieved Capture directly and in “high definition” an image of the so -called cosmic network, a network of gas filaments that extend throughout millions of light years in the intergalactic space. He has done it from the VLT, the large telescope that the Southern European Observatory has installed in Chile. A cosmic network. The subject in the universe is not only concentrated in the galaxies. Moreover, the subject distributed in intergalactic space plays a fundamental role in the structure of our cosmos. Physical interactions lead to this matter to be distributed in an interesting way. He does it In immense filamentsgas clouds that form an immense network that connects the galaxies around it. The gas that accumulates in this network of “cosmic highways” is the one that feeds the stars of the bright galaxies located at the intersections of this network. Huge, and almost invisible. In addition to the gas that feeds the stars, dark matter also plays an important role in the structuring of this network as indicated by the team responsible for this new image. Observing this dark matter is impossible today, but capturing the gas columns that accompany it, the “star fuel”, is possible. Hundreds of hours. Overcome this difficulty Requires dedicationeven for our most powerful telescopes. That is why capturing this image required hundreds of hours of observation by the VLT (Vary Large Telescope), The telescope of the European Observatory (ESO) installed in the Atacama desert, in Chile. The team resorted to the Muse instrument (Multi–Unit Spectroscopic Explorer), An advanced spectrograph installed in the Chilean telescope. The details of the process were published In an article In the magazine Nature Astronomy. In the image, in color, the diffuse gas that extends around and between the remarked galaxies can be seen. Davide Tornotti/University of Milano-Bicocca. Three million light years. The team used ultraprecisous data compiled by the telescope to create the most clear image ever achieved by one of the filaments that make up the cosmic network. The filament in question extends over three million light years and Connect two distant galaxieseach of them with its own supermassive black hole. “By capturing the dim light emitted by this filament, which has traveled for just under 12,000 million years to reach the Earth, we are able to accurately characterize its form,” Explain in a press release Davide Tornotti, co -author of the study. The team also highlights that the accuracy of the new data has allowed “Draw the border” between the gas of the galaxies themselves and all the subject that we associate with this cosmic web. And all through direct measurements. Validate the theory. In his study, the team used these direct observations to test the theoretical cosmological models. And with a positive result: “When comparing it to the new high definition image, we find a substantial agreement between theory and observations,” Tornotti indicated. Even so, the team also points out that they will continue working on the study of these structures. “One is none,” that is, with the image of one of these elements, it is not enough to draw generalizable conclusions about these key structures for our cosmos but as unknown as the filaments that make up the cosmic network. In Xataka | Is our Milky Way a zombie galaxy and we without knowing it? Image | Alejandro Benitez-Llambay/University of Milano-Bicocca/MPa/Davide Tornotti/University of Milano-Bicocca

There is no reason why the price of light rises. There is a storm of reasons and are related to gas

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Europe does not leave one to get into another. Why has the price of light uploaded this time? Beyond that we have returned to the VAT of 21% in the light invoice, if you have noticed an increase in the price of electricity and gas lately it is for the delicate moment that the natural gas industry lives again in Europe. The perfect storm of gas. This is how They call analysts To a confluence of factors in the gas industry that has the unfortunate European consumers suffering the consequences on the electricity bill. Regulatory measures that come to an end, a sudden reconfiguration of supply routes and the increase in demand for wind shortage have generated a scenario in which electricity prices have firing again, affecting both homes and To industries. Goodbye to the top in the price. More than two years ago that the European Union established a stop at the price of gas as an emergency measure to counteract speculation and relieve the crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That mechanism expired on January 31so now the reality is different. Much of Europe has started the month of February heating with gas, but without a “firewall” that slows the expense, a situation that has raised criticism of several Eurodiputados. Italy in particular asked to reconsider or adjust the threshold so that consumers do not pay excessive prices. Total interruption of Russian gas. At the same time, the energy relationship between Europe and Russia has not gone to better. The Total gas traffic interruption Through Ukraine, an agreement that since 1991 allowed Moscow to supply the continent, has left several countries in a vulnerability situation. One of the most affected countries It is Moldovawhich is not yet part of the EU block. Although the dependence on Russian gas is getting smaller, the supply maintained relative stability throughout the region. The new gas routes. Given the disappearance of the traditional route, Europe has had to resort to alternatives such as Liquefied natural gas that comes to us by ship from the United StatesCatar and Australia, or the limited use of gas pipelines such as Turkstream. These sources allow to maintain the flow of energy in exchange for a much higher cost than the gas transported by land, which translates into rates of up to 50 euros per megavatio hour and, therefore, a direct rise in the prices of the prices of the prices of the light. A WINDER WITHOUT WIND. The impact is aggravated in the electricity sector, where the demand for gas for generation has reached historical levels. The most flagrant case It happened in Germany because of the famous Dunkelflautebut the analyst Pedro Cantuel He points out that Spain registered in December 2024 the highest demand in ten years. And reservations going down. The last edge of this scenario are gas deposits. Point out Bloomberg that storage levels in key countries such as France and the Netherlands are below the objectives set by the European Commission, adding a layer of uncertainty for next winter. The Difficulty replenishing these storesaggravated by summer contracts with high prices, it is a real risk for the security of the supply that has ended up affecting, like everything else, on the electricity bill. Image | Endesa In Xataka | Forget the industrial revolution: the fastest energy change in human history is happening now In Xataka | 2025 is the beginning of the end for gas boilers in Spain. European regulations have started its long withdrawal

The EU has finally become independent of Russian gas. Now faces an equal uncertain dependence: the US LNG

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In the last five years, the supply of liquefied natural gas in Europe depended mainly on Russian reservesrepresenting almost 40% of imports thanks to their competitive prices and an extensive network of gas pipelines. However, Europe has sought to reduce the dependence on Russian gas by the Ukraine War, facing an uncertain energy panorama. Also, still imports Russian LNG record amounts By boat and Hungary and Slovakia oppose restrictive measures. The reserves, which had reached historical levels before winter thanks to storage policies, are now beginning to descend. Given this situation, Europe has chosen to diversify its sources and increase LNG imports from other countries, being the United States one of the emerging suppliers. However, this transition will not be easy. Short. At the time he assumed, in less than 24 hours, Donald Trump signed an executive order with the different measures that Ipso facto was going to take. In addition, the issue of gas and tariffs to Europe comes before assumingbut now the president of the United States has launched a warning to the European Union demanding that more oil and liquefied natural gas be bought or, otherwise, will face the imposition of tariffs. This threat occurs in a context of commercial and energy tensions, where the US seeks to gain ground in the European market, which has historically depended on Russia’s energy imports. However, the EU does not have a centralized purchasing power that allows it to negotiate large -scale contracts, since it is individual companies that decide where to buy the gas. Evolution of European LNG imports in recent years The evolution of the gas supply. This graph represents the supply of LNG in Europe, which has experienced notable changes such as more than 15 years ago liquefied natural gas came in most countries such as Qatar and other producers. However, Russia’s agency was marking over time. However, the position of the United States as a supplier of Europe is from 2020, which is observed how it is consolidated. This was due, in large part, to the sanctions and commercial restrictions imposed on the Kremlin, which forced the EU has diversify its sources. In the last year, US imports have reached historical levels, even exceeding traditional suppliers. Europe’s position. Although Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has shown its willingness to replace Russian gas with American LNG, the EU does not have the centralized purchase capacity on a large scale, so each member country negotiates it independently. For its part, Hungary and Slovakia, more aligned with the Kremlin For their energy treatment, they may not share these EU measures. However, Brussels aims to reduce the dependence of Russian fossil fuels for two years, but the high price of American LNG compared to Russian gas remains an important obstacle. In addition, the EU is struggling to protect its industries and reduce high energy prices, especially in countries such as Germany, which depend on gas for its industry. And Russia? Despite the Ukraine War and the sanctions imposed by the United States and the EU, Russia remains the largest gas supplier for the latter. The reason is because European companies continue to import large volumes of Russian LNG due to the lowest prices and the lack of short -term affordable alternatives. For its part, the Kremlin is looking for new markets for its energy and is approaching more to the Asian continent. Commercial relations. The production capacity of American LNG is increasing, and more natural gas plants are expected to enter into operation in the coming years. By 2026, the United States, Canada and Qatar may meet much of the European LNG demand, thus reducing the need for Russian gas. In addition, the EU seeks to reduce its natural gas consumption by 25% by 2030, modifying import and market patterns. However, prices will remain a considerable obstacle for total change to American LNG. Image | Unspash Xataka | Russia has managed to make fun of Europe’s sanctions: I just had to disguise its gas with Azerí flag

For the first time, solar and wind are eating gas and coal

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Europe has started the year by reaching a milestone: solar energy is the source that grew the fastest in the EU during 2024, surpassing coal for the first time. The meteoric rise. A recent report from Ember has highlighted that, in the last ten years, solar production has tripled, while wind energy has doubled in the same period, but stagnating in the last year. Analysis results have demonstrated That this growth has pushed fossil fuels to their lowest level in 40 years. Decline of coal. In 2019 the Green Dealofficially declaring a “climate emergency.” From that moment on, the European Commission was required to adapt all its proposals to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. At that time, coal was the third largest source of energy along with gas. Currently, it is in sixth place by 10%. In one statement with ReutersReport analyst Chris Rosslowe noted: “Over the last two years we have seen sharp declines in both coal and gas in the EU energy system and fossil fuels are now at a record low.” This marginality that the analyst speaks of lies in the increase in solar and wind generation by the Twenty-Seven, which has helped avoid imports worth 59 billion euros. Furthermore, as stated in its own report, more than half of the member countries do not have coal-based energy or only have a share of less than 5% in their electricity mix. And what about the gas? Although there was a small rebound in electricity demand, gas generation decreased for the fifth consecutive year. In the last five years, total gas consumption in the EU was reduced by 20%, of which a third corresponds to the electricity sector. This change has been driven by the growth of renewable energies, especially solar and wind, which in 2024 prevented gas consumption for electricity generation from being 11% higher. However, it should be noted that gas consumption has been altered by the War in Ukraine. At the beginning of the conflict, Europe’s energy dependence on Russian gas became visible, which led to a response accelerated to diversify energy supply and reduce vulnerability to geopolitical tensions. Stagnation of wind power. The European Union has predicted that in 2030 wind energy will reach 34% of its electrical mix, but as Rosslowe indicated For Reuters, “more actions” are needed to achieve that goal. The analyst’s statements are based on the fact that this last year wind power has only grown by 7 TWh year-on-year, reaching 477 TWh. These data reflect a decrease with respect to the average of 30 TWh of the last five years, but installation rates are expected to increase in the coming years. For more than four years, the costs of wind energy have been have stagnated due to high inflation and supply chain problems derived from the Covid-19 pandemic and the global energy crisis. In addition, the wind sector has been harmed more than the solar sector due to longer delivery times and higher initial investment requirements. However, the report maintains that wind energy will continue to be competitive compared to gas generation, thanks to future measures taken by the EU. The division in the nuclear. Given the rise of data centers, nuclear energy has become the fetish source of large technology companieswho consider it ideal for its uninterrupted use. Specifically, in Europe, nuclear energy continues to recover from 2022 and is generating 24% of electricity. Here arises one of the major divisions of the EUsince there are member countries that are in favor of continuing to invest in this energy, such as Finland, Slovakia, Hungary and France, the latter opening a new nuclear power plant after 25 years. On the other hand, other countries such as Germany, Belgium and Spain are in the process of gradually reducing or eliminating this energy source. In this last group was Italy, which recently has finalized a bill to return to nuclear energy. This situation glimpses one of the challenges that Europe will have to face in the coming years. The problem with the price. Although the report has presented the European Union’s good construction towards the energy transition, they still have to face the increase in electricity prices. Europe has two challenges ahead: the phenomenon known as “dunkelflaute” and an aging power grid. The first refers to periods of low renewable production due to lack of wind and sun. For its part, the limitations in the networks occur due to their longevity. These problems are combined with a growing demand for energy, which further complicates the situation. Spain and Portugal at the head of Europe. Within the Twenty-seven member states, Spain and Portugal have led the energy transition with 82% of electricity generation coming from renewable sources. Of this percentage, the combination of solar and wind energy reached almost 50%. In particular, Spain recorded a continuous increase in photovoltaic generation, reaching 21% of its electricity almost double the European average (11%). Furthermore, the Iberian country is the second country in Europe with the most solar energy generation, only behind Germany. Forecasts. In a statement collected by Carbon BriefChris Rosslowe said that while the EU’s energy transition has moved faster over the past five years, “we should take nothing for granted.” Furthermore, he adds that the goals achieved should generate “confidence” because they demonstrate the “effort and commitment” for a more sustainable energy future for Europe. Image | Unsplash and Unsplash Xataka | We have known for 25 years that we were going to exceed 1.5 degrees of temperature increase and we have not cared

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