2021-03-03 12:30:00
RENEWABLES FOR EUROPE +14.7 GW
RN - March 2 - Europe’s wind power capacity grew by 14.7 GW in 2020, 19% less than what was expected before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, WindEurope said last week.
The Netherlands added the most capacity -- 2 GW -- mainly thanks to offshore wind projects. Germany ranked second with 1.65 GW, its lowest annual figure in a decade. Norway, Spain and France rounded out the top five.
The EU’s 27 member states together built 10.5 GW of new wind in 2020. Onshore wind accounted for 80% of all installations on the continent.
Europe is seen to install 105 GW of new wind over the next five years, adding to the 220 GW it has now. WindEurope says this is far from enough to deliver the Green Deal and climate neutrality. The industry body calculates that the EU needs to be installing 18 GW of wind per year in 2021-2030 to deliver its existing 2030 renewables target, and 27 GW per year for the higher 55% climate target.
Mainly due to slow and complex permitting, the annual expansion is too slow.
“Permitting rules and procedures are too complex. There are not enough people working in the permitting authorities to process permit applications. Governments have to address this. Otherwise the Green Deal is at risk,” said Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO.
There is another challenge. In the next five years, 38 GW of wind farms in Europe will reach 20 years of operation. These will have to be repowered, decommissioned or go through life-time extension upgrades. WindEurope gave Austria as an example for a country which closed 2020 with less operational wind farms than at the start of the year because of obstacles to repowering.
Europe decommissioned 388 MW of wind in 2020.
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Earlier:
2021, February, 25, 12:10:00
EUROPE'S CLIMATE STRATEGY
Economic losses from more frequent climate-related extreme weather are increasing. In the EU, these losses alone already average over €12 billion per year.
2021, February, 25, 11:40:00
EUROPE'S CLEAN ENERGY PARTNERSHIP EUR 10 BLN
The EU will provide nearly Eur10 billion of funding that the partners will match with at least an equivalent amount of investment, the EC said in a statement.
2021, February, 17, 15:35:00
EUROPEAN ENERGY & CLIMATE
Signed in 1994 to protect cross-border investment in the energy sector, the Energy Charter Treaty has faced growing criticism from environmental groups and governments that say it impedes countries’ efforts to phase out fossil fuels.
2021, February, 10, 11:25:00
EUROPEAN RENEWABLE INVESTMENT $32 BLN
“[T]hese investments will create jobs and growth. Every new offshore wind turbine generates EUR 15 million of economic activity. We expect the 77,000 people working in offshore wind today in Europe to be 200,000 by 2030,” Dickson said.
2021, January, 28, 12:40:00
EUROPEAN RENEWABLES HAVE TO DOUBLE
While renewables' 2020 performance was impressive, especially during a global pandemic, the report warns that the average pace of deployment through the 2020s will need to more than double that of the prior decade if the EU is going to hit its target of a 55 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.
2021, January, 19, 13:50:00
EU GAS MARKETS ARE CHANGING
The European Commission is planning to issue new proposals for gas legislation in the last quarter of 2021. EU gas markets are on the cusp of dramatic changes.
2021, January, 6, 13:25:00
EUROPEAN SOLAR POWER UP
The highest increase in cumulative capacity was observed in Bulgaria (+15%), Denmark and Poland (over 10% growth).
