E.On sees Europe’s gas future married to renewables

The future of European gas is married to renewable energy and reforms of the carbon emissions trading system, the head of Germany’s E.On Ruhrgas and E.On Trading said in an exclusive interview with Petroleum Economist

Europe would also be a natural destination for US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, while Asia was expected to beat Europe in the race to develop shale gas, Klaus Schäfer told Petroleum Economist before his speech on Gas and Renewable Partnerships at the Wold Gas Conference. “With gas-fired generation, there is a quick ramp-up time and flexibility. The existing gas infrastructure and storage means it can be modulated very well. All these things are not possible with other types of generation,” Schäfer said. “I think it’s the perfect tandem of the two and therefore am quite positive on the future of gas.” Electricity production from renewables such as wind and solar can drop suddenly and t