The EC does not give gas up, despite the decision of EIB

The European Commission announces that its policy will increasingly integrate the energy sector with other sectors in order to create synergies for the needs of transition. Its representative stresses the important role of natural gas in this process.

What next for financing gas projects?

Maciej Ciszewski, adviser to the Directorate General for Energy in the European Commission Klaus Dieter-Borchardt appeared at a conference on energy transformation organized in the European Parliament.

– The new green deal is not one policy, but it will have to be reflected in many policies, including energy. The new Green Deal must be fully energy efficient in order to be implemented effectively. It is not only about decarbonising production, but also the entire economy – argued the advisor to the European Commission.

– We have been presenting the triangle for years: security of supply, profitability and sustainable development. Sustainable development is definitely at the forefront of our policy, but one should not forget about the other two – said Ciszewski. – We cannot set new policy goals without forgetting about the consumers who will actually pay for it.

– We must make the most of what we have. All synergies in the energy sector, and more broadly: transport and more, should be used. Traditionally, the joining of sectors was to relate to synergies in the energy and gas sectors. We want to look more widely and use everything we have at our disposal – he announced. In this context, he spoke about the potential of heating, cooling, the hydrogen sector and other industries.

– Our goal is decarbonisation. However, gas has a role to play here. There is actually plenty of room for itin the energy transformation. Speaking of 2050, we must remember that we are in 2020. Gas will contribute to the stabilization of renewable energy sources. It should be reminded that gas is not coal. It’s a clean source of energy. This is a quarter of energy consumption in the European Union – assured Ciszewski.

– We must think about planning the construction of a new infrastructure. We are working on this with the association of infrastructure operators and this will be the subject of our discussions in the coming weeks – he said.

He referred to the decision of the European Investment Bank, which withdrew from financing for gas investments. – Financing transformation, Green Deal, this is not a finished topic. You can still use a lot of tools and the game is still ongoing – assured Ciszewski.