Laura Otýpková
Lawyer and Head of the Responsible Energy Team
What would happen to Czech power grid in 2030 if all coal power plants were shut down? Even without coal-fired generation it is possible to ensure stable electricity supply in the Czech Republic, proves a study which we publicly presented in May 2018. Now we introduce new additional scenarios to the study, again analysed by Energynautics.
New scenarios show that Czech power grid poses no obstacle to phase-out of all coal powered power plants, even under the following conditions:
Increase in power consumption due to development of electromobility and heat pump. The study concludes that grid stability poses no major obstacle for the transformation of Czech energy sector from coal to renewables. In includes also an overview of recommended measures, which could increase the ability of the grid to react to fluctuation in VTE and FVE production for individual scenarios. The measures comprise the possibility of energy accumulation in heating stations and biogas storage in biogas stations. These measures would increase the potential of these sources for generation dispatch management. Further improvement can be achieved through optimalization of CCGT turbines.
The study reacts to the current European drift from coal towards renewable energy. This trend often raises a question: could the substitution of coal power plants with sources which are highly dependant on weather threaten the stability and security of power supplies? This question is definitely appropriate - the share of renewables in the European union is 30 % and increasing. This growth in renewable energy is caused especially by solar and wind sources of energy and biomass. The study which is unique to the Czech environment shows that the options of Czech power grid do not stand in the way of further energy transformation.
The additional research was carried out by a renown German consulting company Energynautics, upon a request of Czech organizations – Glopolis, Frank Bold and Hnutí Duha (Friends of the Earth Czech Republic).
The Frank Bold Society and the Neighbourhood Association Uhelná called on the Czech government today to be more consistent in its negotiations with Poland over mining at the Turów brown coal mine. According to both organisations, the government did not have enough information or time to prepare an agreement that would truly protect Czech interests. Moreover, the government has acted in a non-transparent manner by failing to inform the public in advance of the terms of the agreement being prepared, which should lead to the withdrawal of the action against Poland at the EU Court of Justice. The organisations have therefore drawn up a document with seven basic demands on which the Czech side should insist.
The European Commission recently introduced a draft of the revised EU ETS Directive which, among other things, proposes that 100 % of ETS revenues should be used for environmental measures. We welcome this idea but we’re also sceptical about how the ETS revenues are used in the Czech Republic. Therefore, we have prepared an analysis mapping the use of ETS revenues in Czech Republic and sent it to the European Commission as an input for the recent public consultation. The main conclusions are presented below.
We have analysed hundreds of pages of technical documents and prepared a comprehensive overview of the sustainability reporting requirements under the forthcoming EU legislation. We summarise what ESG data will be critical for companies, banks, and investors in sustainability strategy and management and in the areas of climate change, environment, sustainable activities, employees and supply chains, due diligence, and anti-corruption measures.
