Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)

August 24th marks Ukraine’s Independence Day and 2.5 years since Russia's full-scale invasion. As Ukraine continues to heroically defend its freedom and safeguard Europe's security, defunding and disarming Russia is paramount. How does Moscow manage to sustain its war efforts? Primarily through extensive oil and gas exports, the import of sanctioned dual-use goods and advanced technology, as well as corporate taxes from foreign companies that have remained in the Russian market. Bold and urgent action is needed to degrade Russia's war economy, and the G7 countries have a crucial role to play. See our policy recommendations for governments 👇. #ExitRussia #StopFundingTheWar #DisarmRussia #StandWithUkraine

❗️🇷🇺❗️Russian fossil fuel exports continue to enable war against Ukraine Weekly snapshot for 12 to 18 August 2024👇 ⚠️ Russia exported estimated EUR 4.55 bn worth of fossil fuels 🩸EUR 1.91 bn oil 🩸EUR 1.42 bn oil products & chemicals 🩸EUR 0.8 bn gas 🩸EUR 0.42 bn coal 🚢 In the week of 12 to 18 August 2024, EUR 1.7 bn was loaded on European/G7 owned or insured tankers, helping finance Russia’s invasion of Ukraine The week of 12 to 18 August 2024, the top five importers of Russian fossil fuels were: 🇨🇳 China 🇮🇳 India 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇪🇺 EU 🇧🇷 Brazil 💡 CREA's weekly snapshot of Russian fossil fuel flows uses a methodology building on Kpler's data Read more here: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eKG4gCDF 🇷🇺 CREA's weekly snapshot of Russian fossil fuel exports for 12 to 18 August 2024 is now available here in English & 🇺🇦 Ukrainian: ➡ https://lnkd.in/ehgC3jhx #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Europe #EU #FossilFuels #G7 #NATO #OFAC #Russia #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine

🇨🇳 🏛️ BREAKING | China issues policy suspending all new steel plant permits ⚡️After H1 2024 saw no new permits issued for coal-based steel plants, China's Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT) issued a policy suspending all new steel plant permits today 🇨🇳 China's new policy suspends all new steel plant permits & does not differentiate type of steel plant ⚫️ Coal-based: blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace – BF-BOF 🟢 Electricity-based & utilising recycled scrap steel: electric arc furnaces – EAF 💡 H1 2024 saw only EAFs permitted As noted in CREA's H1 2024 biannual steel decarbonisation review, China could cut 200 million tonnes of CO2 from the steel industry by 2025 (equivalent to EU steel annual emissions) through measures to cut steel output & increase scrap-based steel from EAFs ➡ https://lnkd.in/dGu2qXKQ 📄 In a recent action plan, China emphasised reducing 2024-2025 carbon emissions from the steel sector by 53 million tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to 2023 🇨🇳 🏛️ Mandates from the central government have seen provincial governments laying out plans to cut steel production in 2024 ♻ The Chinese government has also issued supporting policies to expand domestic scrap steel supply in the coming years, including taxation & financial aid 🇪🇺 🏛️ The looming EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism has accelerated efforts to improve carbon accounting measures and include the steel sector in China’s national Emission Trading Scheme, both of which have been central policy factors driving the decarbonisation of the sector 🇨🇳 📄 China's new policy suspending all new steel plant permits from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is available here: ➡https://lnkd.in/ezNWmtXU #BlastFurnace #BasicOxygenFurnace #BFBOF #China #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Coal #CO2 #CO2Emissions #Decarbonisation #EAF #ElectricArcFurnace #Emissions #Industry #Steel #SteelIndustry

🇨🇳 NEW BRIEFING | China puts coal on back burner as renewables soar 👇 w/Global Energy Monitor 🔋 As new renewable energy installations are now capable of meeting all incremental power demand in China, need for new coal is waning & government may be embracing this change - yet more to be done ⚡️ In H1 2024, China reduced coal power permits by approximately 80% compared to H1 2023 ☀️💨 Since 2023, China has added over 400 gigawatts (GW) of new solar & wind power, driving down China’s coal power generation by 7% from June 2023 to June 2024 💡 The current decline in coal power activity can also be seen in the reduction of new & revived coal power proposals, totalling 37 gigawatts (GW) in early 2024, down from 60 GW in early 2023 💡 Challenges do persist, with over 40 GW of coal power initiated in H1 2024, nearly matching 2022 & accounting for more than 90% of new global constructions Government target of commissioning 80 GW of coal-fired power in 2024 could also mean project completion surge in H2 2024 The full briefing is now available here: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eBstdEyf #China #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Coal #Renewables #Solar #Wind

📰 🇨🇳 China adds new clean power equivalent to 🇬🇧 UK’s entire electricity output “If renewable energy continues to displace coal... 2024 emissions could continue to decrease, potentially making 2023 the peak year for China’s emissions” Qi Qin w/The Guardian ➡ https://lnkd.in/ePQM9Fss #China #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Coal #Electricity #Emissions #Energy #PeakEmissions

❗️🇷🇺❗️Russian fossil fuel exports continue to enable war against Ukraine Weekly snapshot for 5 to 11 August 2024👇 ⚠️ Russia exported estimated EUR 4.74 bn worth of fossil fuels 🩸EUR 2.05 bn oil 🩸EUR 1.7 bn oil products & chemicals 🩸EUR 0.49 bn gas 🩸EUR 0.5 bn coal 🚢 In the week of 5 to 11 August 2024, EUR 1.98 bn was loaded on European/G7 owned or insured tankers, helping finance Russia’s invasion of Ukraine The week of 5 to 11 August 2024, the top five importers of Russian fossil fuels were: 🇨🇳 China 🇮🇳 India 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇪🇺 EU 🇧🇷 Brazil 💡 CREA's weekly snapshot of Russian fossil fuel flows uses a methodology building on Kpler's data Read more here: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eKG4gCDF 🇷🇺 CREA's weekly snapshot of Russian fossil fuel exports for 5 to 11 August 2024 is now available here in English & 🇺🇦 Ukrainian: ➡ https://lnkd.in/e-RgEfGZ #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Europe #EU #FossilFuels #G7 #NATO #OFAC #Russia #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine

🇨🇳 NEW | China monthly snapshot on energy & air pollution out now in EN & CN👇 ⚡📉 CO2 emissions continued to decline in July 2024, reinforcing possible year-long drop 📉 Thermal power down 4.9% 💦 Hydro up 36.2% ☀️ Solar up 16.4% 💨 Wind up 0.9% ☢️ Nuclear up 4.3% 📈 In July 2024, China's coal imports rose sharply by 17.7% 💡 During summer peak, imported coal has price advantage over domestic coal, leading to significant increase in coal imports 📉 Crude oil imports in July down by 13.1% 📈 Natural gas imports increased by 5.6% ☀️ In first 6 months of 2024, newly installed solar reached 102 GW, up 31% compared to 2023 💨 Newly installed wind power capacity from Jan. to June reached 26 GW, up 12% In first half of 2024, commissioning of thermal (coal & gas) power plants reached 18GW 🚗 China's new energy vehicle (NEV) production up by 28% NEVs 40% of all vehicles produced; strong demand continues 🏛️ Government introduced subsidies for users who scrap vehicles & purchase NEVs 💡 NEV exports fell by 3.2% due to anti-subsidy investigations & EU tariffs 🥇 In July 2024, worst PM2.5 was in Northwestern China; Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia province, was top Worst ozone was in provincial capital of Shanxi, in Fenwei Plain Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, had worst NO2 ⚠️ NO2 is dangerous pollutant, contributes to PM2.5 & ozone 🇨🇳 CREA's August 2024 full monthly snapshot of China's energy & air pollution trends is now available in EN & CN Find full snapshot & subscribe here: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eeMQz7Ss #AirPollution #AirQuality #China #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Coal #CO2 #Emissions #Energy #EnergyTransition #Hydro #Industry #NEV #Power #Renewables #Solar #Wind

🇪🇺🇨🇳 NEW | Despite the right-wing gaining on green parties in recent EU elections, the EU's climate focus provides EU businesses innovative green technology opportunities in China & role in maintaining stable EU-China relations CREA China Analyst Belinda Schäpe's op-ed for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China is now available here: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eN4mk6Es #Business #China #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #EnergyTransition #EURObiz #Europe #EU #GreenTechnology #GreenTransition

🇷🇺 NEW | Monthly analysis on Russian fossil fuel exports & sanctions 📉 July 2024 export revenues drop to lowest levels of 2024—EUR 656 mn/day ⚠️ Russia earned EUR 1.2 bn from exports to EU countries ⚠️ Price cap of USD 30/bbl would have cut Russian oil export revenues by 26% 📈 50% year-on-year increase in Russia’s oil export tax revenues in first 7 months of 2024—due to Mineral Extraction Tax (MET) on crude 💡 Average MET without exemptions is USD 47/bbl ⚠️ RU production costs remain low; State retains max revenue from sales, enabling invasion of 🇺🇦 Ukraine In July, top importers of RU fossil fuels were: 🇨🇳 China 🇮🇳 India 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇪🇺 EU 🇧🇷 Brazil ⚠️ China’s seaborne crude imports dropped to lowest levels since Dec 2022 due to reduced processing margins, and lower demand ❗Over 2/3 of RU's LNG exports (EUR 446 mn) went to the EU In July, top EU importers were: 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇮🇹 Italy 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 📉 EU’s total imports of LNG reduced by 14% in first 7 months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 ⚠️ While imports from other countries dropped, RU imports grew by 13% year-on-year 🚢 In July, 36% of Russian oil and its products were transported by tankers subject to the oil price cap policy ⚠️ 81% of Russian crude oil was transported by ‘shadow’ tankers, not subject to the price cap ❗ In July, over half of the vessels transporting Russian oil (229 in total) were 'shadow' vessels 🚨 'Shadow' tankers conducted ship-to-ship transfers totalling EUR 674 mn in EU waters ❗ Clean-up cost of an oil spill from tankers with dubious insurance could fall on taxpayers 📉 There was a marginal drop in the price of Ural grade crude, but it remained significantly above the price cap — USD 67.61 per barrel ⚠️ Discounts on the ESPO grade and Sokol blends remained relatively stable and modest at USD 4.2 per barrel and USD 6.1 per barrel ⚠️ Setting a lower oil price cap of USD 30 per barrel in December 2022 would have slashed Russian revenues by EUR 62 bn (25%) ⚠️ Lower price cap would have slashed Russian revenues by EUR 3.51 bn (26%) in July alone 🇷🇺 CREA’s July 2024 monthly analysis on fossil fuel exports from Russia is now available here in English & soon in 🇺🇦Ukrainian: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eFuPcHhS #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Europe #EU #FossilFuels #NATO #OFAC #Russia #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine

❗️🇷🇺❗️Russian fossil fuel exports continue to enable war against Ukraine Weekly snapshot for 29 July to 4 August 2024👇 ⚠️ Russia exported estimated EUR 4.89 bn worth of fossil fuels 🩸EUR 2.1 bn oil 🩸EUR 1.64 bn oil products & chemicals 🩸EUR 0.66 bn gas 🩸EUR 0.49 bn coal 🚢 In the week of 29 July to 4 August 2024, EUR 1.81 bn was loaded on European/G7 owned or insured tankers, helping finance Russia’s invasion of Ukraine The top five importers of Russian fossil fuels were: 🇨🇳 China 🇮🇳 India 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇪🇺 EU 🇱🇾 Libya 💡 CREA's weekly snapshot of Russian fossil fuel flows uses a methodology building on Kpler's data Read more here: ➡ https://lnkd.in/e6afvRPV 🇷🇺 CREA's weekly snapshot of Russian fossil fuel exports for 29 July to 4 August 2024 is now available here in English & 🇺🇦 Ukrainian: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eCKRUsXx #CleanEnergy #CleanAir #Europe #EU #FossilFuels #G7 #NATO #OFAC #Russia #Sanctions #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine