author: Dražen Jakšić, Director of the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar
When the war in Ukraine began and the supply of natural gas from Russia to Europe was significantly reduced, the topics that came to the forefront were energy security and self-sufficiency. The war in Ukraine brutally reminded us of the weaknesses of the European energy system: dependence on imported energy sources, sluggish bureaucracy and the lack of bold strategic thinking and leadership left the European Union vulnerable, not only in terms of energy but also politically.
The lesson we should have learned then is that we need to diversify energy sources and increase energy self-sufficiency and that energy security includes technical and industrial self-sufficiency. In other words, it is not enough to have the sun, wind or water – we must also have the capacity to convert them into megawatt-hours.
Today, three years later, a new major crisis has arrived. The administration of US President Donald Trump proudly flaunts the introduction of tariffs, global trade is becoming an arena in which dominance comes through production chains, there is a lively discussion on both sides of the Atlantic about the return of industrial production home, and some are already making new deals and writing a new chapter in the world economy.
The key question in this crisis is no longer how to survive the winter without Russian gas, but how to use the newly created situation for our development. This crisis could be a turning point.
You can read the entire column at the link: https://www.energetika-net.com/kratki-spoj/zelena-industrija-mora-biti-iduci-korak-u-energetskoj-tranziciji
