EUROPEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY STRATEGY FOR 2020

Europe 2020 is a 10-year strategy proposed by the European Commission on 3 March 2010 for advancement of the economy of the European Union.  It follows the Lisbon Strategy for the period 2000–2010.

Exit from the Crisis: First Steps Toward 2020

-Reform of the financial system

-Smart budgetary consolidation for long-term growth

- Greater coordination within the economic and monetary union

The 5 main targets that should happen:

-Improve the employment rate of population witting 20-64 aged, current 69% to at least 75%.

- 3 percent of the EU’s GDP should be invested in R&D

 -Reduce greenhouse gas emissions at least 20%-30% and increase the share of renewable energy.

-Reduce the percent of early school leavers (dropouts) under 10% and 40% of population witting 30-34 should have a degree or diploma.

-Reduce the number of Europeans living below poverty lines by 25%, and getting at least 20 million people out of poverty.

7 flagship initiatives:

-Innovation union

-Youth on the move

-A digital agenda for Europe

-Resource-efficient Europe

-An industrial policy for the globalization era (An industrial policy for green growth)

-An agenda for new skills and jobs

-European platform against poverty

The 20% target for renewable energy includes all energy use - electricity, heating & cooling and transport. The renewable energy use in transport has been separate in a 10% target.

Comparison of National Renewable Energy Targets with overall EU-27 target and national RES shares in March, 2014

The largest contribution of renewable energy will be made by heating and cooling (46%), electricity (41%). Transport is estimated to contribute at least 13%.

SECTORAL ANALYSIS

Wind

Wind plays the dominant role in increasing the level of intermittent power generation by 2020.

ALL WIND POWER:

2005 (NREAPs): 70.4TWh

2010 (NREAPs): 164.6TWh

2020 (NREAPs): 494.6TWh

Wind dominates, in capacity terms compared to all RES technologies, with a highest annual capacity of around 11.5GW between 2010 and 2015 and around 14GW between 2015 and 2020. Wind is expected to be almost 500TWh by 2020.

The leading installers of offshore wind are France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, each installing more than 500MW per year. France is planning to increase around 700MW per year in 2015-2020, Germany to 1,400MW per year, the Netherlands to 800MW per year, Spain to around 600MW per year and the UK to 1,500MW per year.

Hydro

The level of ambition for hydro in the NREAPs is disappointing. The increase of hydropower in the national plans is relatively limited compared to other RESE technologies.

Production growth:

2005 (NREAPs): 346.6TWh

2010 (NREAPs): 345.7TWh

2020 (NREAPs): 370.1TWh

Given the fact that hydropower can play a crucial role in providing rapid power to intermittent renewable, the ambitions foreseen in the NREAPs are disappointing. The increase of the production of hydropower is just 7%. It is expected to be quite better by 2020.

Solar

Solar power is a high cost form of RES-Electricity.

Production growth:

2005 (NREAPs): 1.5TWh (all PV)

2010 (NREAPs): 21.3TWh (of which 20.12TWh PV, 1.15TWh CSP)

2020 (NREAPs): 103.3TWh (of which 83.38TWh PV, 19.96 TWh CSP)

PV = Photovoltaic

CSP = Concentrated solar power

In terms of capacity growth, the NREAPs require the already steep deployment growth from 2005-2008 of 2.6GW to be extended to an average of over 6.5GW from 2010 to 2020. A small amount of this growth is from concentrating solar power, but the majority is from solar photovoltaic. The solar power would be established where the cost of production is lowest.

Deployment of solar 2000-2020 in Europe.

For example, in countries such as Spain, Germany, France and Italy the PV growth acceleration has recently raised government concerns with respect to the consequent increase of the total support costs which often represent a disproportionate share of total RES-Electricity support costs compared to the share of solar power in total RES-Electricity production.

Biomass

Electricity from biomass needs to be trebled from 2005 level to 2020. The bioenergy sector in general will require a doubling of the primary biomass; it demands major expansion of EU biomass production. Solid biomasses are necessary to facilitate the growth of biomass in the electricity and heat sectors.

Production growth:

2005 (NREAPs): 67.2TWh

2010 (NREAPs): 114.3TWh

2020 (NREAPs): 231.9TWh

Biomass has three applications in the context of the NREAPs: it can be used to produce both electricity and heating as well as to produce biofuels for transport.

Biomass electricity production capacity in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020

Europe 2020 strategy would prepare EU economy for the next decade. Green energy for all!

WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE REAL ENERGY TRANSITION IN EUROPE

            

The EU countries are finding new supply routes for gas and reviving nuclear power like that EU doesn’t have to depend on world powers. One of the priorities of Europe’s targets should be to increase the ambition on energy saving and renewable share. 

Several countries are looking to sustainable economies by means of renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. The final goal is to create a system based on 100% renewable energy. This renewable energy include wind, biomass, hydro power, solar power, geothermal and ocean power. This is the alternative of fossil fuels.

Today’s announcements are that major economies are changing from dirty fossil fuels and replace them for clean renewable energies. This is necessary to keep global warming below 2 Degrees C and to ensure that vulnerable populations inside and outside Europe are safe from the damage of climate change.

This is the most important challenge that is face in the 21^st century. After such a transitional period it is expected to cover most, if not all, of the world’s energy production in 50 years according to a 2011 projection by the International Energy Agency. 

The younger generation that live Europe on a daily basis, are having a better education and training for the new opportunities of this new European transition that is the Erasmus Program that is concerning to be the future of our planet earth.

‘Super grid’ is the term for the future electricity system that will cover Europe. In 2020 European climate and energy package has been delivery across the continent, and has a rapid price digression in both wind and solar technologies. Wind power has dropped by 45% and solar PV by 80% over the period since the 2020 package was adopted.

The 2030 energy and climate package also say to the EU to reduce the gas emissions at least 40% from 1990 levels, just to start the process and it have a objective of reduce 80-95% by 2050. Considering Europe’s current fuel mix, this change require a big change to Europe’s generation portfolio, most in coal, oil and gas. The development of the Super-grid can begin today!

HOW THE FUTURE EUROPEAN ENERGY LANDSCAPE WILL LOOK LIKE?

A few years ago, who would have imagined a world where shale is rewriting geopolitics, where solar and wind are supplanting coal in Germany, or where there are serious concerns over the lights starting to go out in the UK. One thing is clear - the European Energy landscape is changing at a pace that has never been seen before.

2015 promises to be an exciting and crucial year in which European Union (EU) energy policy-makers will play a particularly important role. Over the next months, members of the European Parliament’s Industry and Environment committees will be shaping the EU’s energy and climate future in a rapidly changing world. What will this future look like?

When we look at the world’s energy landscape today, one trend is crystal clear: The EU will need secure, low-carbon and affordable energy.

At present, more than 50% of the EU’s primary energy production is from low or zero carbon renewable. This show that decarbonizes power system is increasingly being observed across the EU. Recent articles have reported, for example, how renewable energy is providing the largest share of Germany’s electricity supply and how Denmark is also moving in the same direction.

Looking at the history of energy policy in the modern industrial era, there has indeed never been a time of such rapid and drastic change, the direction of which remains unknown even to the key players. Previous turning points in history of global energy, like the switch from coal to oil before the First World War or the 1970 energy crisis.

Similarly, the events in Ukraine and the Crimea have pulled Europe’s reliance on Russian gas into greater focus. While that may be unpalatable for some, Russian gas is likely to remain a key feature in Europe’s energy mix for years to come.

One thing that never changes is that energy projects are big, expensive and long term. Change requires huge investment of capital, as well as regulatory and legislative time and resource. Communications and engagement will have a critical role to play across multiple stakeholder audiences to help Europe navigate this transition – a challenge that we relish!