Draft CEEAG Must Recognise Fuel Flexibility of Gas-Fired Technology
16 July 2021
At the beginning of June, the European Commission published a first version of its Draft Climate, Energy and Environmental Aid Guidelines (CEEAG).
In our feedback, sent to the Commission, we underline that gas-fired power generation is not bound to natural gas and that the technology is also capable of operating with renewable and decarbonised gases, including hydrogen. In other words, support to gas-fired power generation technologies does not automatically lead to a carbon lock-in, especially when the technology is ready to operate with renewable and clean gases.
We therefore suggest some targeted improvements to the guidelines, aimed at:
- Specifying that the possible lock-in is connected to the use of a given fuel, such as natural gas, and not to a technology.
- Taking into account all technological capabilities, including hydrogen-readiness.
- Respecting the principle of technology neutrality in ensuring security of electricity supply.
- Avoiding referring to the EU Taxonomy Regulation, which was not defined for such purposes, and to the ‘do no significant harm’ principle.
