EU Risks Dependence on China for Green Energy

The European Union has a plan to phase out fossil fuels in the next 30 years. A paper prepared for EU leaders meeting in Madrid, Spain, on October 5 notes that this plan will increase the EU’s demand for lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers by 10 to 30 times in the coming years. By 2030, the EU could be as dependent on China as it was on Russia in 2021.

Communist hoax: United States President Donald Trump has joked that global warming is a Chinese hoax designed to convince Western nations to offshore industries. While there is not much evidence that climate-change science originated in China, it is undeniable that China has benefited from Western efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources like solar and wind, the EU will need tremendous battery power to reach its net-zero targets, and China stands ready to export millions of euros’ worth of batteries.

Belt and Road: Before Russia’s war against Ukraine, many worried that projects like the Nord Stream pipeline would make Europe completely dependent on Russia. This is still a real concern, but Europe’s attempts to diversify away from fossil fuels and toward green energy may make it dependent on Russia’s most powerful ally, China.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative is designed to integrate the economies of Europe and Asia into one massive trade bloc with the power to challenge the U.S. for world dominance. Europe’s growing demand for lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells may speed this project along.

International market: Some 2,700 years ago, God inspired the Prophet Isaiah to write about a vast trade bloc—“a mart of nations”—that would form in the end time (Isaiah 23:3).

Verse 1 shows that a lead nation in this trade bloc will be “Chittim.” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explains in his booklet Isaiah’s End-Time Vision that Chittim, or Kittim, is an ancient name for modern China. Another leading entity in the trade bloc is “Tyre.” Mr. Flurry explains that this represents “the commercial center” of modern Europe. A related passage in Ezekiel 27 mentions ancient names for modern Russia (Tubal and Meshech), showing that it too will join this “mart.”

Bible prophecy predicts that two great trading blocs—Europe and Asia—are positioning themselves to control the world by economically besieging the U.S. and its English-speaking allies.

Learn more: Read “All Roads Lead to Beijing.”