Research
Security of energy supply and geopolitics
Over the next 25 years, the import dependency of the European Union will continue to increase. Simultaneously the supply of oil and gas on the international market will become more concentrated. There will be similar developments in the US and Asia. Competition for oil and gas will increase, with consequences for the political and economic relations with these regions. Due to the increased import dependency, security of supply will become a topic of major concern. On the other hand, developments in more efficient energy use and the use of more sustainable energy may support security of supply. Application of new technologies (e.g., cleaner fossil fuels) may contribute to the security of supply by facilitating a broader energy mix within the parameters of environmental agreements. However, the dependency on a few net-exporting countries and regions will continue to be considerable over the next few decades. The most important of these countries and regions (Russia, the Caspian Sea region and the Middle East) are also politically sensitive areas, where local and regional conflicts could well take place in the near future, disrupting energy supplies. This further endangers security of supply.
- European energy policy
- The Middle East
- International relations, risk analyses and energy
- Russian energy politics
- North-East Asia
- The Caspian Sea
- Reserves project