As reported, the “Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance” came into being on August 23. At the same time, the two countries brokered a deal to supply German carmakers Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz with Canadian minerals for electric vehicle batteries. These deals, which will eventually result in Canadian hydrogen and minerals flowing into the German market, represented a coup for both signatories. Germany gained another Read More…
For over fifty years, Germany hoped that a conciliatory approach predicated on close economic ties, and diplomatic and cultural rapproachement in its Russia policy – commonly known as Ostpolitik – would warm Russia to the West. Two Russian invasions of Ukraine and many sanctions later, it has become abundantly clear that Berlin’s orthodox policy towards Moscow has Read More…
In this article Joseph Bouchard examines the issues of corruption in Russia’s energy sector exposed by Alexei Navalny, how those issues impact Russia’s influence in the global energy sector, and how resolving them could impact Russia’s future and its relations with the West.
Gas transit through Ukraine is a matter not just of energy security but of national security for Ukraine and other countries in the wider region. Russia showed its willingness to the weaponize gas trade when it cut off supplies to Ukraine and Europe in the middle of winter in 2006 and 2009. Many believe that Read More…
Following the Dutch discovery of the Groningen field, and British, Norwegian and Danish discoveries in the North Sea during the 1960s and 1970s, natural gas appeared to offer Europe an opportunity to decrease its dependence on Middle Eastern oil. However, demand for gas quickly outpaced supply, leading West European buyers increasingly to rely on Soviet Read More…
Two extremely important events for Turkey’s energy policy took place within days of each other at the end of May and in early June. The first was the formal opening of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC). The second was the order, by Dutch courts, that Gazprom’s assets in The Netherlands should be frozen. That court Read More…
Michael Kang looks into the potential economic consequences that might result from Russian trade restrictions on Turkey following the downing of the Russian Su-24 jet in Syria.