The Gas Value Chain Company and the ‘ewi Energy Research & Scenarios gGmbH’ consummate a landmark co-operation agreement in Cologne/Mülheim, on 02 December 2016.

GVC strengthens its quantitative and analytical firepower by consummating a Cooperation Agreement with the renowned ewi ER&S availing some 35 highly skilled energy experts for maximum client benefit.

Wolfgang renders a lecture to students of the Energy Delta Institute under the ‘Fellowship on Energy Program’ in Berlin, on 25 November 2016: “Energy transition in Europe and beyond”.

I.a., Wolfgang recaps the content and mechanisms of the COP21 Treaty and discusses the German Climate Protection Plan. Read more Particularly, he dismisses the concept of ‘sector-coupling’ insofar as it aims at the use of renewable electricity also in the transport and heat sector. Such ‘all-electric’ approach is a fallacy since it would create more electricity demand whilst renewable power is short and would also cause exorbitant costs due to the much lower energy density of electricity. He argues that, rather, the use of natural gas should be expanded which would increasingly become ‘green’. The gas distribution grid, carrying i.a. hydrogene, synthetic gas and biogas should become an integrated part of a holistic energy system.

Wolfgang speaks at the ‘22^nd Euroforum-Jahrestagung’ in Berlin, on 23 November 2016: “Investing in the European Gas Market – Key issues, economic drivers, conditions & challenges”.

In the context of decarbonization, Wolfgang makes a distinction between infrastructure investments into Europe vs. investments within Europe. For infrastructure investments Read more into Europe, one needs to be aware that Europe avails of >200 bcm/a LNG regasification capacity which has been ~75% idle. With the impending “LNG revolution”, fierce competition for market share can be expected and amortization of certain additional import capacity could be at risk. Within-Europe infrastructure, on the other hand, has good chances to become part of a holistic energy system by carrying increasingly ‘greener’ gas, i.e. hydrogene, synthetic gas and biogas. The current considerations of ‘all electric’ are a fallacy, in that the much lower energy density of electricity would create enormous costs in additional generation as well as transport capacity.

Wolfgang speaks at the PRIO Cyprus Center’s Conference on ‘The Future of East-Mediterranian Gas’ in Nicosia, on 21 November 2016: “Energy Security in the wider global context”.

The PRIO Cyprus Center, in collaboration with the Atlantic Council, the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung and Istituto Affari Internazionali and Strata Insight, was organizing the fourth of its international conference series on energy in the Eastern Mediterranean. Wolfgang addressed predominantly global natural gas market issues, Read more e.g.: Whilst natural gas is on its way to become a globally traded commodity, with implications for global price spreads (as opposed to prices in separate regions) as well as a revised view on security of supply, the promising discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranian pose a challenge and an opportunity for Cyprus and the Eastern-Mediterranean countries at large. In the context of battling climate change, the deployment of natural gas in the Cypriot domestic market poses a great opportunity.

Wolfgang attends the Launch Presentation of the ‘World Energy Outlook 2016’ (WEO 2016) by the International Energy Agency (IEA) hosted by the Clingendael Institute in The Hague, on 17 April 2016.

The renowned “Clingendael Institute” (CIEP) headed by Prof. Coby van der Linde hosted the launch presentation of the WEO 2016 given by Tim Gould of the IEA. Read more

Wolfgang attends the ‘ewi Energietagung 2016: Energiemarkt 2025: Trends, Perspektiven, Strukturbrüche’ in Cologne, on 15 November 2016.

The renowned ewi institute (Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universität zu Köln) – see also under Affiliations – organized its annual symposium with a strong focus on energy transition and whether Germany was on the right track. Read more

Wolfgang attends the ‘BDEW-Abend‘ under the theme: ‘Digitales Europa: Auf dem Weg in die smarte Energiewelt von morgen’ in Brussels, on 14 November 2016.

The German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) hosted its traditional “Europe Event” focusing on issues around security of supply and energy transition. High level guest speaker was Prof. Klaus-Dieter Borchardt Read more , director at the European Commission, Section ‘Internal Energy Market”. His presentation of the most recent security of supply directive for gas was critically discussed, not least since there appeared greater need for security of supply regulations in the electricity space due to the frequent need for grid stabilization as a consequence of intermittent renewables influx.