COGEN Europe: February 2015 Newsletter
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Dear COGEN Europe Member,
Please find the first COGEN Europe newsletter of 2015 below.
You may have noticed we’ve started sending you the newsletter in the form of an email, so you can read it without having to visit our website. We’ll continue to put the newsletters in the Members’ Area of our website in PDF format, so you can revisit the archive at your leisure.
Our goal is for the newsletter to be a valued service for our members, keeping you abreast of EU policy developments relevant to the cogeneration sector, and letting you know about COGEN Europe’s activities in Brussels.
With a view to ensuring that future newsletters serve your needs as effectively as possible, we’d like to ask you for your feedback:
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Please take a few minutes to send your thoughts by email to Andrew Williams, our communications manager, so we can continue to deliver you the newsletter you want!
COGEN Europe Newsletter: February 2015
Upcoming Events:
Final Reminder to Register: Benefits of Decentralised Production of Combined Heat and Power
COGEN Europe reminds you to register now if you would like to join us on 25 February 2015 to discuss‘Benefits of Decentralised Production of Heat and Power: householders and small energy users in the spotlight’. Places for this event are filling up fast! If you are still intending to register, please check with us that your registration is confirmed before making travel arrangements.
Our event, held alongside the European Commission’s Heating and Cooling Conference, is designed to share the latest findings and exchange ideas on how to spur the development of local, decentralised combined heat and power generation technologies. The event will provide first-hand information on the development of the micro-cogeneration market and set out the way forward for the sector.
The event will cover the following themes:
- Heat and power flexibility challenges;
- Achieving a cost-optimal balance between heat supply efficiency and moderation of demand;
- New business models needed for achieving a decentralised energy system;
- Contribution of micro-cogeneration technologies to achieving the EU’s 2030 CO₂, RES and energy saving objectives.
To read the full programme of the event, please click here.
To register for the event, please click here.
In addition, you are kindly invited to join us at 19:00 on the same day at the Bibliothèque Solvay for the ‘Heating and Cooling welcome event’: please click here for more information and to enrol!
Contact:
alexandra.tudoroiu@cogeneurope.eu
Just two weeks to go until landmark EU Heating and Cooling Conference
The European Commission recently issued the final programme for its major two-day conference on ‘Heating and Cooling in the European Energy Transition’, to be held in Brussels on 26-27 February.
The Commission also made available details of the related Side Events to be held on 25 February.
Many of the events to be held on 25 February will feature presentations or case studies on cogeneration. COGEN Europe is organising its own Side Event: ‘Benefits of Decentralised Production of Heat and Power: householders and small energy users in the spotlight’. For more information, see the previous newsletter entry.
COGEN Europe Managing Director Fiona Riddoch will be on the panel of the official conference’s Opening Session on the morning of 26 February. To develop the policy asks that COGEN Europe will share with EU policymakers on that occasion, we held a webinar on 9 February and a draft paper is now in circulation (sent to our membership on 13 February).
For more information:
COGEN Europe website (for more information on our event)
European Commission special website (for Heating & Cooling Conference)
COGEN Europe extranet: Documents related to Heating & Cooling Strategy (from 9 February webinar).
Contact:
arnaud.duvielguerbigny@cogeneurope.eu
EU Policy Update:
Commission to flesh out European Energy Union
On 25 February the European Commission is due to issue a Communication on an ‘Energy Union Strategy’. The Communication will establish a list of priority actions to be implemented in the coming years. This Communication will then set the direction and pace of legislative activities in the Energy and Climate Action policy areas.
COGEN Europe is working hard to push the Commission to place a strong emphasis on the primary energy metric. An EU High-Level Conference held in early February in Latvian capital Riga was a precursor to finalising the text of the upcoming Strategy.
Please note that on 25 February the Commission is also expected to adopt two further Communications: (1) on electricity Interconnection and (2) on the Road to COP 21 in Paris.
Energy Efficiency Directive implementation:
Review of energy efficiency reference values
A stakeholder meeting took place on 10 February to discuss the draft report from the consultancy appointed by the European Commission to review the Energy Efficiency Reference Values of the Energy Efficiency Directive. COGEN Europe members are urgently requested to check this draft – as well as the analysis and other related documents – which are available on the extranet.
Please click here to be directed to the relevant page on our extranet.
Deadline for comments and data: 27 February.
More information:
arnaud.duvielguerbigny@cogeneurope.eu
MEPs mull European Fund for Strategic Investment
European Commission proposals for an EFSI (European Fund for Strategic Investment) will now be discussed by the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) committee, with a plenary vote scheduled for 24 March.
Co-rapporteurs have been appointed: MEP José Manuel FERNANDES (European People’s Party; Portugal) and MEP Udo BULLMANN (Socialists & Democrats; Germany). Member states will discuss the proposals during the next Economic and Financial Affairs Council on 17 February: the issue of the Fund’s governance will be a key point for debate.
June is the target date for getting the EFSI up and running.
Policymakers tackle EU Emissions Trading System reform
Several months ago the European Commission tabled plans to remove hundreds of millions of surplus carbon allowances – referred to as the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) – from the market starting in 2021.
Discussions in the European Parliament are ongoing, with the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) committee unable to adopt an opinion on the matter. The ENVI (Environment, Public Health and Food Safety) committee, which holds legislative responsibility for the file, is expected to vote on 24 February 2015. The MSR proposal needs the backing of both the European Parliament and EU member states (European Council) in order to enter into force.
In addition, the Commission has launched a consultation on the revision of the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) Directive (following the European Council’s agreement on the EU 2030 climate and energy policies framework, including a binding domestic target for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of at least 40% in 2030 as compared to 1990).
To meet this 40% target, the European Council agreed that emissions covered by the EU ETS should be reduced by 43% compared to 2005 levels. A reformed EU ETS remains the main instrument to deliver the EU’s emission reduction target. The cap will decline based on an annual linear reduction factor of 2.2% (instead of the current 1.74%) from 2021 onwards, to achieve the necessary emission reductions in the EU ETS.
A long questionnaire is available online until 16 March 2015.
COGEN Europe will call a webinar on this topic later this month.
EnerCap joins COGEN Europe
COGEN Europe is delighted to welcome new member EnerCap Capital Partners. EnerCap specialises in private equity investments in clean and efficient energy projects across Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
More information:
Press Release: EnerCap joins COGEN Europe
APROVIS Energy Systems joins COGEN Europe
COGEN Europe is delighted to welcome new member APROVIS Energy Systems GmbH. APROVIS specialises in exhaust heat recovery for the combined heat and power business. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Germany, APROVIS units are installed across the globe.
More information:
Press Release: APROVIS Energy Systems joins COGEN Europe
Network Code Update:
NC RfG enters comitology amid industry concern over derogation procedure
The Network Code on Requirements for all Generators (NC RfG) draft has been submitted to EU member states’ ‘Electricity Cross-Border Committee’, who convened to discuss the file for the first time on 4 February. The NC RfG includes a derogation procedure which only allows generator facility owners to apply for individual derogations and only network operators to request class derogations.
This may lead to conflicts of interest whereby access to the derogation procedure may be drastically limited or restricted (e.g. in the case of series-produced generators). COGEN Europe has therefore been advocating for a derogation procedure that is open to third parties, such as manufacturers, to request derogations on behalf of generator classes, especially in the case of Type A generating modules (below 1 MWe). COGEN Europe will be active throughout the comitology process, urging our national association members to contact their government representatives regarding the amendment of the NC RfG derogation procedure.
More information:
COGEN Europe’s Briefing Note on the NC RfG
NC RfG comitology draft
Contact:
alexandra.tudoroiu@cogeneurope.eu
COGEN Europe responds to consultation on Electricity Balancing Network Code
After ENTSO-E had submitted a revised Electricity Balancing Code (NC EB) to ACER, COGEN Europe responded to ACER’s stakeholder consultation on the revised NC EB, highlighting the need to incorporate into this network code the provisions in Article 15 of the Energy Efficiency Directive which address the inclusion of High-Efficiency CHP in the balancing markets (see attached response).
More information:
COGEN Europe’s Response to ACER’s Consultation
Contact:
fiona.riddoch@cogeneurope.eu
ACER and ENTSO-E announce European Network Code Implementation Committees
ACER and ENTSO-E are planning to launch stakeholder committees to discuss the implementation of upcoming network codes. The two bodies consulted stakeholders regarding the structure and scope of these committees. COGEN Europe responded to the consultation by indicating its commitment to getting involved with the implementation of the network codes.
More information:
COGEN Europe’s Response to the Joint ACER/ENTSO-E Consultation
Contact:
fiona.riddoch@cogeneurope.eu
Publication of European micro-CHP standard
CEN/CENELEC has adopted a ‘European product standard for combined heating power systems using gas fuel’ (EN 50465:2015), which will be published by national standardisation bodies in the coming months (the final deadline for this is October 2015). The EN 50465:2015 provides methodological support for implementing the Lot1 Eco-design and Energy Labelling Regulations (i.e. 811/2013 and 812/2013).
More information:
EN 50465:2015 publication by the Dutch Standardisation Body
Contact:
alexandra.tudoroiu@cogeneurope.eu
COGEN Europe Communication Activities:
| Date | Communication |
| 2015 | |
| 05/01 | News Entry: EU Sustainable Energy Week to take place 15-19 June 2015 |
| 08/01 | Press Release: Latvian EU Presidency brings refreshing perspective on security of energy supply |
| 19/01 | Document: COGEN Europe response to ACER consultation on revised Network Code on Electricity Balancing (NC EB) |
| 26/01 | Press Release: COGEN Europe Annual Conference 2015: Open for Registration! |
| 27/01 | Press Release: Boosting supply security with cogeneration: EU’s CHP potential revealed in major new report |
| 29/01 | Event Invitation: Benefits of Decentralised Production of Heat and Power |
| 29/01 | Press Release: APROVIS Energy Systems joins COGEN Europe |
| 04/02 | Press Release: EnerCap joins COGEN Europe |
| 06/02 | Press Release: 1 million hours at Smurfit Kappa, Roermond Papier |
| 13/02 | Press Release: Event Programme now available: Benefits of Decentralised Production of Heat and Power |
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Calendar of forthcoming events:
| Date & place | Event | Organiser | Contact | |
| 25 February 2015; Brussels | Benefits of Decentralised Production of Combined Heat and Power | COGEN Europe | Please click here | |
| 26-27 February 2015; Brussels | Conference: Heating and Cooling in the European Energy Transition | European Commission | Conference website | |
| 26-27 March 2015; Hungary | COGEN Hungary Annual Conference 2015 | COGEN Hungary | COGEN Hungary | |
| 27-28 April 2015; Tallinn; Estonia | 37th Euroheat & Power Congress | Euroheat & Power | Congress website | |
| 6 May 2015; Brussels
19-20 May 2015; Brussels 15-19 June |
6th AEBIOM European Bioenergy Conference 2015
COGEN Europe Annual Conference & Gala Dinner 2015 EU Sustainable Energy Week 2015 |
AEBIOM
COGEN Europe European Commission |
Conference website | |
EU-level stakeholder consultations:
| Institution | Consultation | Deadline |
| European Commission | Consultation on revision of the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) Directive | 16/03/2015 |
| ACER | Workshop and survey on electricity transmission tariff harmonisation | 24/03/2015 |
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