Today in the Satirical Energy Review: on the actions of hostile forces in the international…
Feliz Navidad without light in Venezuela, for it’s already October 1!
Venezuela could be a grateful subject for satire every day if it weren’t for the fact that the grotesque is constantly intertwined with tragedy—business as usual – a big, rich country that plunges into chaos at its request. Despite substantial oil deposits and considerable energy resources from rivers (73% of energy comes from hydroelectric power plants), problems with power supply are beginning to arise – a major blackout took place in August. The power outages are just an addition to the whole palette of troubles: hyperinflation (once gigantic, now partially contained), economic ruin (a 10% drop in GDP this year), mass emigration (almost 8 million out of less than 30 million citizens) and, of course, constant political conflicts.
It all started with the charismatic leftist President Chavez, who was full of innovative ideas. After his death, his successor, Maduro, took power. Venezuela is a prime example of our time’s “modern economics”: bloated social programs designed to build a loyal electoral base for the poorest. Most jobs are tied to the state sector (primarily the state-owned oil company), an extensive security apparatus, a subservient judiciary, and a loyal media. Every position is contingent on loyalty to Maduro’s party and support for all his actions. Such a system provides a solid electoral base – every “bought” vote is one more vote for the President, plus the government media and, if necessary, other means of pressure.
Recently, the presidential election was rigged again, giving Maduro a third term. Protests are being brutally suppressed, the opposition is being pacified, and Maduro’s counter-candidate in the election has been arrested. The state-run media, which is the only one in the country, accuses the opposition of all the failures – according to them, the blackout was the result of sabotage, and the increasingly poor performance of state-owned companies is the result of “hostile forces,”mainly from the US, but also from the European Union.
All those with skills who want to live an everyday life are emigrating—the scale is enormous. Those who stay try to fit in with the “new style of government” and get a state job. This is pretty much the standard of our times, but Maduro stands out with his colourful and unconventional ideas. Recently (for the umpteenth time—the first time in 2020), he announced the postponement of Christmas.
Therefore, Feliz Navidad in Venezuela can be celebrated in a month and a half, probably with the natural lighting of bonfires, torches of government militias and rifle shots on darkened streets. Indeed, there will also be extra bonuses for everyone at Christmas (pensions, salaries, allowances), which will again fuel hyperinflation. However, the happy faces and applause on government TV after the President’s speech are worth noting.
How fortunate that Poland’s economy, politics and energy sector did not follow Venezuela’s model for many years!
French blow to the Polish battery industry… and where are our lobbyists?
That everyone looks out for their interests has been known for a long time, as has the fact that lobbyists do in the European Union. We have just received a clear example of this – the only question is whether our politicians have recognized it.
The issue is battery production – new factories in Europe are potentially one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the reindustrialization of the European Union. Poland is in a good starting position, as according to statistics, it currently ranks second in the world in battery production. However, it could be said that it has been, as recent decisions by the European Union are pushing us backwards.
The problem concerns the “carbon footprint.” Labelling batteries in terms of CO2 emissions is becoming mandatory, and shortly (in a few years), regulations will promote only those produced with a low “carbon footprint.” Polish factories (mainly international manufacturers) have so far handled this well, buying especially “green”, emission-free energy, which allowed them to report levels of about 40-80 gCO2/kWh of energy used in production.
Unfortunately, the new EU regulation forces batteries to be labelled not based on the actual energy used in production but on the global level of energy emissivity in a given country. For Poland, this means a minimum of 600 g/kWh. The amendments were adopted thanks to lobbying by France (where the national emissivity is around 50 gCO2/kWh) and some other countries (the EU average emissivity is just over 200). So, other countries will be more “optimal” for battery production in the European Union.
Of course, we can be indignant about “French intrigues” and lament yet another case where our country suffers under EU decisions, but we can also admire effective lobbying and ask ourselves: Where were our MEPs and members of the relevant committees (including ITRE, where we have a chairman)?
I’m writing this satirically, or perhaps not—completely apolitical because it doesn’t matter to any political side. What hurts, however, is that we may be loud at EU Parliament sittings and European happenings. Still, we are helpless when lobbying for critical Polish energy and industry issues. If we will be building energy storage facilities from French batteries in a few or a dozen years, perhaps instead of complaining, it will be worth remembering who overslept then.
Fortunately, foreign countries are acting senselessly (in the energy industry) …
In today’s competitive world, countries are constantly competing for access to markets, and we must not only defend our interests but also rejoice when others make mistakes. Fortunately, there have been some absurd decisions of their own in the West lately …
Norway is betting exclusively on electric cars. Recent figures show that last year, as many as 97% of vehicles sold were electric. One can only feel sorry for the Norwegians because, in cold climates, these vehicles will lose, some say, up to 50% of their battery capacity, especially since Norway has about 15 inhabitants per square kilometre. In contrast, we have as many as 122. How will the Norwegians travel huge distances, amid herds of reindeer and huge snowdrifts, using such vehicles? We can only rejoice that we still have 30-year-old diesel running around in our country and will resist EU automotive regulations (although it is unclear how successfully).
The UK’s last coal-fired power plant (Ratcliffe-on-Soar, 2000 MW) is closing down. This is downright comical! They left the EU, so they don’t have to be subject to the ETS. They could buy cheap coal from abroad, and their power plant is completely depreciated. Even if the technology is outdated, upgrading the boiler and turbine would be enough – we’ve been doing it for 30 years. Instead, they are consistently abandoning fossil fuels, including gas. We will see in a few years how much their energy will cost and whether they will suffer blackouts.
In Europe, including Germany, the share of RES in energy production is at a record high this year. Unfortunately, it’s still pointless – more and more RES. Admittedly, the results may drop slightly in the fall and winter, but the trend is unchanged – RES wins. And what about the stability of the grid? They are indeed facing severe problems. However, statistics show something completely different: the SAIDI indicator (time of power outages – minutes per customer per year) in Poland, where we are penultimate in Europe, is more than 200 minutes, and in Germany… a dozen minutes! There, the indicator is decreasing; in us, it is increasing (because the share of RES is also growing). But this is just a statistic ; after all, it is 370 minutes in Romania. And 200 minutes a year is less than a minute a day – most of us don’t even notice it, so there’s nothing to worry about.
