The Energy Transition in the Visegrad Group Countries

Ewelina Kochanek

doi:10.3390/en14082212

Abstract

The aim of the research is to analyse the energy transition in the Visegrad Group countries, because they depend on the production of energy from the burning of fossil fuels, and transition is a huge challenge for them. The diversity of the energy transformation in the V4 countries was examined by using two qualitative methods, including literature analysis and comparative analysis. The timeframe of the study was set for the period from 2020 to 2030, as these years are crucial for the implementation of the European Green Deal Programme. Four diagnostic features were taken into account in the analysis: the share of RES in final energy consumption, reduction of CO2 emissions in the non-Emissions Trading System (ETS) sector, date of withdrawal of coal from the economy, and energy efficiency. The analysis shows that the V4 countries have different approaches and levels of energy transformation in their economies. Poland is in the most difficult situation, being the most dependent on the production of electricity from coal, as well as having the largest number of employees in the coal and around coal sector. The other countries of the group can base their transformation on nuclear energy, as each of them has at least four such power units. The increased use of biomass for energy and heat production is the most important stimulus for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) growth in the analysed countries. The ambivalent attitude of the political elite to unconventional sources in the four analysed countries significantly hinders the development of certain forms of green energy. However, it has been observed that an increasing proportion of the population, especially those living in regions of the country where there is no fossil fuel mining industry, has a positive attitude towards energy transformation. The study is the first that shows the state of involvement in the process of systemic change of the Visegrad Group countries. The results can serve as a starting point for understanding the reticence of this group of European countries towards the transformation phenomenon, as well as contributing to further research on the implementation of closed-circuit economies in the Visegrad Group countries.

Highlights

The multidimensional nature of energy policy is evident in Central Europe due to the source of energy imports and Russia’s role in the European energy mix
The existing conviction that local production and combustion of fossil fuels will guarantee cheap energy for households means that the policy of adapting to climate change in Central European countries lags behind the rest of Europe
All of the documents mentioned above talk about the promotion of renewable energy sources, which translates into a reduction in the production of energy from conventional sources, and the strategies of the V4 countries assume the reduction of dependence on oil and gas imports from Russia

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Climate change resulting from the burning of hydrocarbons, their rapid depletion, inequality in access to energy, and the announced fall in demand for conventional fuels, especially coal and oil, have forced the need to implement a new energy model that is based on unconventional energy sources. Its core is to be the zero-emission sources, energy saving, and energy efficient. Issues relating to climate change and the negative effects of this process have been analysed and discussed among politicians, scientists, and ordinary citizens around the world, and strongly in Europe. Climate policy has become a catalyst for the development and dissemination of energy based on renewable sources of energy (RES)

Objectives

Results

Conclusion