ENERGY RELATED EU AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
date: 01/05/2023
New provisional agreement on the new Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) and hydrogen market ramp-up
On 30th March 2023, EU Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the new Renewable Energy Directive (REDII), which raises the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030 with an additional 2.5% indicative top up that would allow to reach 45%. Each member state will contribute to this common target. This provisional political agreement will now need to be endorsed by both institutions. Moreover, the REDII gives a significant role to Renewable hydrogen and its derivatives, also called renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) mandating that they must account for at least 42% of hydrogen used in the industrial sector by 2030, and at least 60% by 2035. Renewable hydrogen and RFNBOs are indeed deemed a key tool to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors.
European Parliament approved the core EU climate legislation
On 18th April, the Parliament approved the main body of legislation at the base of the EU climate policy package, bringing them one step closer to becoming law. Now the agreement needs to be formally ratified by the Council before it can enter into force.
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On 24th April, nine European countries signed the Ostend Declaration
European leaders, who gathered in Belgium for the second North Sea Summit, signed the declaration committing to the goal of jointly producing at least 120 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030 and at least 300 gigawatts by 2050 in the North Sea, doubling the previously set ambition and involving five more countries.
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First-ever cross-border tender to support renewable energy in the EU
On 18th April, the European Commission has launched the first cross-border tender to support new renewable energy projects using solar photovoltaic technology. The tender, organised in the framework of the renewable energy financing mechanism (RENEWFM), takes the form of a call for proposals and it will count on the commitments by Luxembourg and Finland to cooperate under this new instrument.
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IEA: Credible pathways to 1.5°C
To support preparations for upcoming major events such as the COP28 Climate Change Conference, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has released Credible Pathways to 1.5 °C: Four pillars for action in the 2020s, a new report on the key actions needed to keep within reach the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C.
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Opportunities and challenges of flexibility technologies for achieving a net-zero electricity future in China
The report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS) discusses the opportunities and challenges of flexibility technologies for achieving a net-zero electricity future in China. The country's growth in renewable energy generation and peak loads requires a more flexible electricity system to manage the variations in renewable energy sources while ensuring energy supply reliability and security.
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Turkey begins energy storage licensing with over 200GW of applications received
Turkey's Energy Market Regulation Authority (EMRA) has begun awarding pre-licensing for energy storage facilities combined with wind and solar power, with around 200 GW expected to be issued over three years. The pre-licensing comes after regulatory changes, including an EMRA ruling in 2021 allowing energy firms to invest in energy storage.
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Enel X deploys ‘world first’ battery swapping VPP in Taiwan
Enel X and Gogoro Inc. have teamed up to revolutionize Taiwan's energy market with 2,500 battery swapping systems deployed across 1,000 locations - the first commercial deployment of its kind worldwide. With plans to deploy over 2,500 GoStations, Enel X's VPP is leading Taiwan's renewable energy future by managing the largest volume of distributed energy resources on Taiwan Power Corporation's Energy Trading Platform.
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