REMIT: A challenging step towards greater transparency on energy markets

Posted on May 2, 2012 by admin

More than other commodities, power is characterized by market prices which are very sensitive to available production capacities and transportation constraints. Energy prices are subject to many distortions such as the unavailability of nuclear power plants in Belgium, the unplanned outages of the French-German power lines or the increase in wind production in Northern Europe. Power markets in Europe are becoming more and more integrated with the introduction of market coupling, the growth of cross-border trades between energy companies and the investment in additional interconnector capacities.

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Rare earth metals: securing the supply chain in the light of rising prices

Posted on April 29, 2012 by admin

As a crucial component of many strategic technologies such as wind turbines and electric cars, and being subject to a very limited production, rare earth metals are now of critical importance for many industries and countries. The taking of measures to secure the vulnerable supply chain seems to have become a major priority in many national policies, and with reason, as will be shown here by an analysis of the situation in terms of supply and demand, economic importance, and recent price evolutions.

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Rare Earths, exceptional metals with growing geopolitical issues

Posted on April 29, 2012 by admin

Lanthanides, scandium and yttrium are elements that are part of our daily lives, even though they are often unnoticed. They are more commonly known as “Rare Earths”. This group of 17 metals is present in many minerals, but in very small quantities, and has played a central role in the technological revolution of the last twenty years.

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Construction costs of a nuclear plant: the dilemma of investors

Posted on March 27, 2012 by admin

“Nuclear power is a mature technology, secure and reliable, able to provide electricity and heat on a large scale, at a reasonable price, without pollution or emission of greenhouse gases.” The opponents of nuclear power oppose to this that “the nuclear waste remains an unresolved problem and nuclear energy benefits from significant government support”.

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Which place for GDF Suez on the global nuclear market?

Posted on March 26, 2012 by admin

The merger of GDF and Suez has established the 2nd worldwide producer of electricity. Thanks to his experience as an operator of power plants in Belgium, GDF Suez pursues his goal of investing the global market of nuclear power. Indeed, although being impacted by the accident of the 11 of March 2011 in Fukushima Daiichi, the nuclear equipment demand remains strong, especially in emerging countries.

In fact, about fifteen countries have officially confirm their willingness for nuclear equipment to the IAEA. Alongside these first-time buyers, China, India, Russia, and Brazil constitute real opportunities for development of nuclear power plants.

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European Gas operators are merging in preparation for Nord Stream, then Nabucco and South Stream

Posted on February 16, 2012 by admin

This article is also published in French and Italian on the blog of Sia Conseil and Sia Partners.

As the third Energy package (passed in July 2009) creates a single market for gas and electricity, gas consumption in Europe is increasing and its sources remain out of the territory for over two thirds.
Existing gas infrastructures connect extraction fields and final consumers involving various technical activities depending on the origin of the gas: regasification, storage, compression, transmission and distribution. For each of these activities, the increasingly diversified sourcing and the trend for major market liquidity demands massive investments to modernize or extend these infrastructures.

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Posted in Competition, Gas, Transport | 1 Comment

The Breakthrough of the Electric Car: A business model for electricity companies

Posted on February 15, 2012 by admin

As the breakthrough of the electric car finally seems to become reality, more and more studies announce the important role of Vehicle to Grid (V2G) for the profitability of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the near and medium future1. At this moment, many investors await the technological optimization of the EV and an easier electricity market access through smart metering implementation. The main elements standing in the way of a faster introduction are the high initial investment cost for both infrastructure and vehicles, and a solid business model to maximize its benefits.Sia Partners thinks that the opportunities for the electricity generation and supply industry are definitely present.

The goal of this article is to put in place a profitable business model for EV exploitation through V2G that is easily accessible to electricity companies.

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Génération Energies IV – Interview with Matthieu Courtecuisse, CEO at Sia Conseil

Posted on February 2, 2012 by admin

For the launch of the 4th edition of the Génération Energies contest, we have interviewed Matthieu Courtecuisse, CEO at Sia Conseil. He reminds us of the commitment taken by Sia Conseil during this intitiative and gives his point of view on this year’s theme, A 20% cut in energy consumption by 2020. An impossible mission?

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Durban conference: enough to face climate change?

Posted on January 25, 2012 by admin

For the first time since the ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 20 years ago, all countries have accepted the idea of a global and legally binding treaty that would limit the emission of greenhouse gasses. This agreement was reached after an intensive marathon of negotiations at the Durban climate conference. After the Copenhagen failure and the minimal Cancun agreement, the negotiations at Durban have made progress on three main points: the renewal of the Kyoto-protocol after 2012, a roadmap to establish a new binding treaty in 2020 and a mechanism to make the Green Climate Fund operational. But is this progress sufficient given the enormous climate change challenge? Or is it merely a diversion?

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Posted in Alternative Energies, Mecanism, Sustainability | Leave a comment

The economic consequences of a nuclear phase-out in Belgium

Posted on December 28, 2011 by admin

After Germany and Switzerland, Belgium has confirmed its desire to opt for a nuclear phase-out. While the risks of possible black-outs are mentioned due to the abrupt outages of the German exports, the government saddles itself up with an additional constraint, without mentioning any planning.

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