Renewable Energy – Europe Address Its Energy Challenges?
Europe is grappling with an unprecedented Renewable energy challenge. In 2021, twenty-seven member states of the European Union (EU) relied on Russia for nearly 40% of their natural gas imports. However, in the wake of the EU’s imposition of sanctions on Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia ceased gas supply to Europe via a major pipeline leading to Germany, triggering the energy crisis.
Consequently, the EU has been compelled to seek alternative sources of gas while resorting to increased coal usage to meet its immediate energy demands. Yet, as part of its broader strategy to ensure energy security, the EU is expediting an ongoing transition toward green energy, originally initiated to meet net-zero emissions goals.
Rush for Renewable Energy
The EU’s REPowerEU initiative has set ambitious goals to eliminate European reliance on Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, with the aim of rapidly reducing this dependence as early as 2027. The plan also targets an overall increase in the share of renewables in final energy consumption to reach 45% by the close of the decade.
Presenting the plan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the need for Europe to attain independence from Russian oil, coal, and gas. She stressed the urgency of taking action to mitigate the impact of escalating energy costs, diversify the gas supply for the upcoming winter, and expedite the transition to clean energy. Von der Leyen underscored that the faster Europe transitions to renewables and hydrogen, coupled with enhanced energy efficiency, the sooner it can achieve true energy independence and mastery of its energy system.
According to the 2022 State of the Energy Union report by the European Commission, the REPowerEU plan is significantly boosting the growth of renewable energy across all sectors. The report anticipates a substantial increase in the renewable share of electricity generation, projecting a rise from 37% in 2021 to a remarkable 69% by 2030.
The report also highlights that in the period from May to August 2022, the European Union achieved a noteworthy milestone by generating a record 12% of its electricity from solar power and 13% from wind power. However, the share of hydropower declined from 14% to 11% compared to previous years, primarily due to lower river and reservoir levels resulting from drought conditions.
Can the EU meet its renewable targets?
The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts, in its ‘main case’ scenario, that the European Union’s share of renewable energy in electricity production will grow to 55% by 2027. However, this projection falls significantly short of the 69% target the EU aims to achieve under its REPowerEU plan, which seeks to swiftly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
To facilitate a more substantial expansion of renewable energy capacity, the IEA suggests that governments across the EU must take measures to reduce policy uncertainty, streamline permitting procedures, and expedite upgrades to the transmission and distribution networks. It is also crucial to increase renewable-based power generation to support the adoption of renewable energy in the transportation and heating sectors. Renewable electricity can power electric vehicles, heat pumps, and green hydrogen production.
Nonetheless, the IEA report suggests that, if governments and industry can effectively address these challenges in the electricity, transport, heating, and cooling sectors, the REPowerEU objectives may be attainable, particularly in terms of renewable energy.
