A little more than 20 years ago, in Murmansk, Russia, the relics of the Cold War were still close at hand. Nealy 200 nuclear submarines, the calling card of the once-feared Soviet Navy, sat rusting at dockside at bases throughout the country’s Northwest, their reactors still loaded with nuclear fuel. Whether they would sink, possibly […]

For another consecutive year, Russia’s civilian nuclear industry is expanding. While the Soviet Union built reactors in countries all over Eastern Europe, Russia’s Rosatom is looking to go  global. Russia is currently biggest exporter of nuclear power plants in the world, offering sizable loans to foreign governments looking to get in on the nuclear energy […]

Brussels, 16th June –  Ahead of the stakeholder meeting on the Renewable Energy Directive on 18th-19th June,  Bellona Europa,  Zero Waste Europe and Rethink Plastic Alliance launch the policy brief “Recycled Carbon Fuels in the Renewable Energy Directive“. The revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable […]

The EU Hydrogen strategy will explore how clean hydrogen can help reduce the EU economy’s carbon emissions in a cost-effective way. It is in line with the EU’s goal – set out in the European Green Deal – to be climate-neutral by 2050. It should also help the EU recover from COVID-19’s economic impact. In […]

To achieve the target of net-zero emissions by 2050 it is no longer enough to simply reduce emissions, we will also have to physically remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Bellona Europa is therefore increasing its efforts to facilitate and ensure a responsible deployment and regulation of practices with permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The […]

Bellona is deeply invested in the future of Europe and the importance of European leadership in tackling climate change on a global scale. The world’s other major emitters – China, the US, Russia, Brazil, and more – each, in their own way, are now looking to Europe as a test case for just how serious […]

Norilsk Nickel, also known as Nornickel is a world-leading producer of nickel, palladium and other metals. It has its key company assets in the Russian Arctic, on the Taymyr and Kola Peninsula. On the Kola Peninsula, company assets are operated by a subsidiary known as Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company (Kola MMC). Any mining and […]

In this paper, Bellona examines available environmental impact study documents released at a public hearing and a Strategic Master Plan for decontamination. Questions of handling the legacy of radioactive contamination at the Mayak Production Association (pdf)

The purpose of this overview is to draw attention to the fact that such an important and complex industry as the nuclear industry cannot successfully operate, evolve, and gain public acceptance without public oversight, as stipulated by Russian law. Therefore, efforts should be made in the nuclear industry to construct a system of legal regulations […]

Russia’s civilian nuclear industry is expanding. Where the Soviet Union built reactors in countries all over Eastern Europe, Russia is now taking it one step further – to a global scale. Russia is the biggest exporter of nuclear power plants in the world, offering big, favorable loans to governments that want to strengthen their energy […]

In order to realise the Paris agreement and the climate pledges of more than 150 countries, we need closer cooperation between actors, increased focus on knowledge sharing and faster industrialisation of innovative solutions. Bellona and CICERO, with the help of Yara and the Norwegian government, has established Connection Point – a pavilion and delegation room […]

Bellona’s compendium of articles investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from 2010 to 2015.

The Russian part of the Barents Region comprises the Murmansk region, the Arkhangelsk region, the Republic of Karelia, the Nenets Autonomous District and the Komi Republic and constitutes ¾ of the entire area of the Barents Region. These areas, along with the other northern territories, play a significant role in the economy and strategic development […]

The European energy supply is changing, with renewables supplying more of the energy needs of business and consumers. However, much of the renewable energy being deployed is intermittent sources of electricity, only providing to the grid when resources such as wind, solar or wave are available. Liberalisation of the electricity market has brought with it […]

Bellona is a Steering Committee member of the European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP). In addition to this, the EBTP and the ZEP (Zero Emissions Platform – EU technology platform for CCS, for which Bellona has the vice presidency) on Bellona’s initiative together created a joint taskforce (JTF) on biomass and CCS in early 2011, with Bellona’s President Frederic […]

Download the report here. Aquaculture is an industry that provokes strong emotions in many people. While production and value creation is sizeable, the industry is criticised not least for spreading pollution, poor use of resources and threats to wild salmon. In 2003 Bellona published the report “Environmental Status of Norwegian Aquaculture”. Based on scientific fact, […]

Ukraine is a country in the middle of a turbulent transition toward developing energy sources free from Russian influence. Bellona has identified that in order for that transition to be successful, CCS must play a critical role in the country’s energy structure, which will continue to be highly dependent on fossil fuels. Ukraine is one of […]

This is a summary of the report published by Bellona about the possibility for electric taxis in the Oslo area. The full report is only available in Norwegian and can be found here.

Bellona submitted its response the European Commission’s Consultative Communication on CCS, outlining the necessary steps which need to be taken for CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) to be taken to the next level in Europe. Bellona recommends Member States to take the lead up till 2020, at which point a core EU CCS policy framework, […]

The European Commission’s 2030 Green Paper, released on 27 March, invited stakeholders to take part in a consultative process towards the Union’s climate and energy policies after 2020. The new policy framework towards 2030 is regarded as an important tool for the EU to reach its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by […]

Down load the report here. The objective of this report is to show how a regenerative hybrid-electric propulsion system can dramatically improve the economy as well as the experience during sailing of medium sized boats that operate by both motor and by sail. This report shows how these problems can be solved by using regenerative […]

Thorium-based nuclear fuel is thought to play a variety of roles depending on a particular nuclear energy system, which makes it challenging to form judgments regarding the economic prospects of thorium.

This is the second and updated edition of the report Nuclear Fissile Materials. The first edition of Nuclear Fissile Materials was prepared and published by Bellona’s experts in late 2011. Authors: Alexander Nikitin; Prof. Vladimir Kuznetsov, D.Sc. Eng.; Andrei Zolotkov; Valery Menshchikov, Ph.D. Eng.; Alexei Shchukin, Ph.D. Chem.

This report has been published by the Bellona Foundation to fuel the debate in Romania on how to meet its emission and energy challenge. The report shows Romania’s unique potential to become CO2 negative, by not only producing electricity in a CO2-neutral way but actually absorbing already emitted CO2 from the atmosphere. It is the result of […]

This publication was prepared by the Bellona Foundation to fuel the debate in Hungary on how to meet its emission and energy challenges. By studying three potential emission trajectories to 2050, it offers a long-term appraisal of the economic and environmental consequences of broad CCS application in the Hungarian power and heavy industry sectors. Publicly […]

The Šoštanj project is the first case where a CCS feasibility assessment was carried out as a result of the CCS Directive, and the content of this CCS assessment was then challenged directly in front of the Commission. Unless the Commission provides further guidance to the interpretation of article 33.1 of the CCS Directive, there […]

The goal of the report is to analyze the true costs of the nuclear power generation in the Russian Federation.

The need for this report arose from the fact that in the past several years, the Russian State Nuclear Corporation Rosatom – the top authority governing the Russian nuclear industry, including its nuclear energy-generating sector – has been engaged in a massive propaganda campaign extolling the virtues of low-capacity nuclear power plants (LCNPPs), complete with […]

Murmansk Region, a large administrative area on the Kola Peninsula in Russia’s European North, has a broad range of non-conventional renewable energy sources at its disposal – the sun and wind, small rivers, tides and ocean waves, etc. Each of these resources has its own distinct seasonal characteristics. For instance, the supply of solar energy […]

This publication has been prepared by the Bellona Foundation to fuel the debate in Poland on how to meet its emission and energy challenge. It is the result of a year’s work both in Poland and Oslo. The Bellona Foundation would like to thank the European Climate Foundation, the Global CCS Institute and other sponsors […]

The present report is an update of many years of work by the international environmental foundation Bellona to prevent the negative impacts to the environment and public health caused by plants from Norilsk Nickel Mining and Metallurgical Company (MMC).

The article is a result of scientific work in the ECCO project, a project which received funding from the European Community`s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). The main objective of the project was to facilitate strategic decision making regarding early and future implementation of CO2 value chains. Europe is the world region with the most comprehensive pricing of CO2 emissions. […]

 The study looks at the role and possible contribution of CCS in a 2050 renewable/CO2 neutral Nordic region, with the total energy perspective in mind. It examines the full energy picture and how all emissions need to be considered, both large stationary that could have CCS and all other emissions. Mapping of current energy use and emissions in each […]

The Sahara Forest Project is a unique combination of proven environmental technologies, such as solar termal power, modern biomass production and the Seawater Greenhouse. The resulting synergies enable restorative growth in the world’s most arid regions. Find out more by downloading the project folder below.

This publication explains why capture and geological storage of CO2 is a necessary tool to combat global warming.

The purpose of the guidelines is to set out preliminary recommendations for the development of safe and effective projects. They are directed towards those who may be involved in decisions on a proposed project, such as developers, regulators, financiers and project operators.

“Nuclear and Radiation Safety in 2008 and for the Period through 2015” (Federal Target Program for Nuclear and Radiation Safety for 2008 through 2015) — analysed by Bellona.

Recommendations for how amines can be used for CO2 capture with minimal risk for environmental impacts

Bellona Europa has carried out a screening of the status and potential for CCS implementation in in nine EU Member States. Below you can download the final reports mapping the political landscape of CCS in nine EU member states in Eastern and Southern Europe. The reports will serve as a basis for further engagement by Bellona – […]

Recommendations for how the European Commission can perform its comitology process for financing CCS demonstration projects

Study of how electricity prices will be influenced by short or long distances for CO2transport.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the legal framework established by the Directive on geological storage of CO2 in order to anticipate some of the legal issues and challenges that Norway might meet when implementing the Directive in its national legislation.

The concept of a nuclear-powered subsea drilling site for oil and gas development on the Russian Arctic shelf.

This paper argues that the regulations and incentives neccessary to make CCS commercially viable by 2020 are: (1) adaptation of regulations that allows and regulate CO2 capture and storage, (2) incentives to ensure demonstration projects are established by 2015, and (3) market regulations to establish a market for CCS from 2020.

The EU is planning to build 10-12 demonstration projects for CCS. This report analyzes different funding options for the demonstration projects.

This report shows how available and emerging technological solutions can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050.

What is CO2? Why is it so important to reduce CO2 emissions? Learn all of the basic facts on CO2 in just 5 minutes from our fact sheet.

CO2 emissions can be reduced significantly if CCS is deployed globally. But what is CCS?

A fact sheet explaining the basics of CO2 capture.

This paper documents the global potential for CCS. If CCS is widely deployed the global CO2 emissions can be reduced by 236 billion tonnes by 2050. The calculations indicate that wide implementation of CCS can reduce CO2 emissions by 54% in the EU and 33% globally in 2050 compared to emission levels today. Such a reduction in […]

The European Technology Platform on Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants – ZEP – is a project gathering more than 200 experts on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The aim of ZEP is to establish gas- and coal power plants with no CO2 emissions.

The objective of this paper is to discuss different options for reducing global CO2 emissions. Furthermore, a strategy for achieving 50 to 80 percent reductions in global CO2 emissions by 2050 will be suggested.

An increased implementation of renewable energy productions is slowed down by economic, technical, land use, social and environmental barriers. Especially the technical, environmental and social barriers related to renewable energy sources indicate the continued domination of fossil energy sources also in 2030. The objective of this paper is to analyze the potential and barriers for increased […]

The objective of this paper is to analyze how global energy demand and CO2 emissions will develop based on the assumptions and scenarios established by the IEA. This paper will also present the suggested actions by IEA for reducing global CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the scenarios from IEA will be compared to scenarios established by the […]

Bellona has published the report “Carbon Dioxide Storage: Geological Security and Environmental Issues – Case Study on the Sleipner Gas field in Norway”. The report documents how safe storage of CO2 can be performed by evaluating CO2 storage at the Sleipner field.

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in deep saline aquifers is implemented fullscale at the Sleipner gas field in Norway. The offshore gas field Sleipner, in the middle of the North Sea, has been injecting 1 million ton CO2 per year since 1996 without leakage.

A fact sheet explaining the basics of CO2 storage.

This paper is part of the efforts initiated by the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) which outlines the attributes that an effective regulatory regime for CCS should posses.

This paper investigates the criteria and possibilities of intermediate storage of CO2 in geological formations aiming at large scale implementation of CCS for deep emission reduction.

Energy demand scenarios show that there will be a gap between total global energy demand and renewable energy production over the next decades. Therefore, a short-term strategy must be implemented to minimize GHG emissions from existing energy production. This can be achieved by developing a carbon dioxide (CO2) value chain including infrastructure for CO2 capture, transport and safe storage.

Bellona’s case study shows technical possibilities and profitability of the CO2 capture for the enhanced oil recovery.

Released November 2004, the forth Bellona report on the Russian nuclear industry suggests solutions as well as giving further details on the current situation.

This report is a sober-minded, scientifically-based foundation that is intended to set the agenda for the debate on the environmental challenges in Norwegian aquaculture.

Bellona’s report on Sellafield and its comprehensive illustration of the plant presents new information about the dumping and spreading of radioactive waste.

This report is principally a survey of the state of technology and technological possibilities. It is simultaneously our hope that it will stimulate others to focus their thinking in terms of challenges and solutions as opposed to problems and obstacles.

The third Bellona report on the Northwest Russian nuclear crisis suggests solutions as well as giving further details on the current situation. Several projects are proposed, in order to solve the problems of further radioactive contamination and the ensuing adverse health effects to the people living in the Arctic areas.

This report sketches how Norway can reposition itself to become an important energy supplier that can help solve environmental problems instead of creating them.