Strategic Natural Gas R&D Issues for Europe

Speakers: Marc Florette, Director, Research Division, Gaz de France, Vice-president of GERG and Christian Beckervordersandforth, Vice-President E.ON Ruhrgas, Gas Technology Centre, Member of the Board of GERG

In recent years the European natural gas industry has undergone a fundamental shift in the way it operates and, as a consequence, the decade ahead will be a time of great change. Over the same period, the demand for natural gas is set to grow and the development of safe, well controlled, and reliable natural gas networks will be essential if optimum performance is to be achieved.

Historically, the requirement to deliver benefits to shareholders in newly privatised companies has implied short-term cost savings and, almost inevitably, this has brought reductions in R&D expenditure. However, there remains an increasing requirement to address the problems associated with energy efficiency and CO2 emissions and, although natural gas is the preferred fossil fuel, because it performs well with regard to these aspects, there will still be a demand for high quality R&D if a continuing contribution is to be made.

At the same time, it appears that the European Commission has abandoned natural gas as a fuel worthy of support, in favour of renewables, with the net result that in the Sixth R&D Framework Programme there were virtually no opportunities to gain funding for important R&D projects of value to the environment, to gas consumers and to European citizens. Yet, it’s clear that natural gas and its guardians in the European gas industry have a lot to offer to Europe and its citizens in the coming years as reliance on natural gas increases.

The speakers, who are both members of the Board of GERG, the European Gas Research Group, will address issues that are of strategic value to Europe. They will also argue that, if natural gas is – rightly – considered of strategic importance to Europe, then a more pragmatic approach should be taken in the development of the Seventh R&D Framework Programme, to ensure that there will be opportunities for securing European Union co-funding for high quality projects which are, without doubt, of significant value to Europe.