QUELLE EST LA PLACE DU GAZ DANS UN MIX ÉNERGÉTIQUE SOUTENABLE ?

The briefing challenges the narrative of natural gas as a climate solution, asserting that a global gas-based electricity system would be as harmful as one based on coal due to value chain emissions and methane's potency. It distinguishes between 'baseload' and 'peak' power, arguing that baseload plants are becoming obsolete as renewable penetration increases. While open-cycle gas turbines (OCGT) can provide necessary short-term flexibility to handle demand peaks, combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGT) lack the required agility and commercial viability in renewable-heavy grids. For long-term seasonal flexibility, the document cites IEA scenarios suggesting existing thermal plants and pumped-storage hydropower are sufficient, rendering new gas plants unnecessary. Reclaim Finance calls for financial actors to immediately cease all financial services supporting gas expansion, including new fields and LNG export terminals.

• Replacing coal electricity with gas is not a viable climate solution because the emissions across the entire gas value chain remain too high; a global electricity system based on gas would be as damaging to the climate as one based on coal.
• The primary value of gas in the energy transition is not its lower carbon intensity compared to coal, but its ability to provide significant power quickly to meet peak demand. Consequently, there is no current justification for massive investment in new gas power plants.
• Open-cycle gas turbines (OCGT) can increase production 3 to 4 times faster than combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGT), making OCGTs suitable for short-term flexibility in renewable-based grids, whereas CCGTs risk losing commercial viability if used only as backup for intermittent renewables.
• For long-term seasonal flexibility in grids with 70% variable renewable penetration, IEA scenarios indicate that existing thermal plants and pumped-storage hydropower are sufficient, meaning new gas plant construction is not justified and would be unprofitable due to low annual usage hours.

APA

Reclaim Finance (2022). QUELLE EST LA PLACE DU GAZ DANS UN MIX ÉNERGÉTIQUE SOUTENABLE ? https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PlaceGazMixSoutenable_FR.pdf

Chicago

Reclaim Finance. QUELLE EST LA PLACE DU GAZ DANS UN MIX ÉNERGÉTIQUE SOUTENABLE ? 2022. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PlaceGazMixSoutenable_FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Reclaim Finance |title=QUELLE EST LA PLACE DU GAZ DANS UN MIX ÉNERGÉTIQUE SOUTENABLE ? |date=November 2022 |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PlaceGazMixSoutenable_FR.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reclaimfinance2022quelle, author = {{Reclaim Finance}}, title = {{QUELLE EST LA PLACE DU GAZ DANS UN MIX ÉNERGÉTIQUE SOUTENABLE ?}}, institution = {Reclaim Finance}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PlaceGazMixSoutenable_FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }