Coal Energy in the European Union in the Context of Energy Transition and Anti-Russian Sanctions

Introduction. This article analyzes the current situation of coal energy in the European Union in the context of its energy transition and anti-Russian energy sanctions. The authors assess the combination of the coal embargo and transformation in the European energy market with ambitions to achieve “climate neutrality.” Methods and materials. The authors predominantly use comparative analysis, but also employ elements of discourse analysis. The materials include official documents of the European Union and the position of its officials, as well as statistics illustrating the dynamics of the energy transition, energy mix and diversification indicators of suppliers and sources. Analysis and results. The authors discuss the rationale for the initial implementation of the coal embargo, citing the low dependence of this energy source on imports and its significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and production risks. However, the cumulative anti-Russian energy sanctions have led to an increase in solid fossil fuel consumption, as well as an increase in domestic production of it. At the same time, renewable energy is not able to compensate for the loss of supply from Russia in the short term, as it still requires expensive new infrastructure, is unstable and weather-dependent. In crisis situations, the European Union still has to resort to additional diversification and, albeit temporarily, cheap coal power and savings. However, forecasts that the situation will gradually level off are reasonable, and the soaring price level has already dropped significantly, albeit still above the 2017–2021 levels. Authors’ contribution. N.G. Zaslavskaya characterized the climate rationale of the European Union energy transition and outlined the methodological basis of the study. A.D. Lisenkova defined the general structure of the article and analyzed the state of coal energy in the context of sanctions changes in the energy market.