Table of contents

In our short piece, we evaluate the potential flexibility of the European gas infrastructure. First, we will first give a bird’s eye view on the total available flexibility measures. This simple review gives us the possibility to narrow down the scope of our inquiry and focus only on the most important sectors. Second, we refine the flexibility options by taking network constraints into account and show the effect of reverse flow possibilities on crisis management as well. Third, we present a more thorough analysis of fuel switching in the power generation sector. Our analyses will be based on REKK’s European Gas Market Model (EGMM) and European Electricity Market Model (EEMM).

The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED, 2012/27/EC) addresses one of the key goals identified in the Europe 2020 Strategy, namely a 20% reduction in projected primary energy consumption by 2020. The EED puts forward a comprehensive policy package targeting various sectors with untapped energy savings potential with the intention of placing the community back on track to achieve the 20% target.

The British Embassy hosted our autumn professional day titled "Regulatory prerequisites of a successful renewable district heating program in Hungary". During the event heat producers, service providers, project developers, and professional organisations, all with successful renewable based district heating projects, and representatives of domestic and foreign regulators shared their experience and discussed the regulatory and institutional conditions of continued progress.