WindEurope argues EU should raise its renewables target to 30 per cent by 2030 if it wants to remain a global wind industry hub
The EU should raise its target for renewables' share of the energy mix to at least 30 per cent by 2030 if it wants to continue to play a leading role in the global wind industry, according to a report released today by industry body WindEurope.
Investor confidence would be boosted if the more ambitious target was adopted in the upcoming revision of the EU's Renewable Energy Directive, the report said, adding that a common energy strategy should be reflected in clear and ambitious political commitments.
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WindEurope also called for national legislation to support planning and permitting of wind energy projects to continue beyond 2020, and warned an unstable regulatory framework in Europe and stronger political commitments for renewables outside of Europe are resulting in a shift in wind energy investment trends towards other markets.
The report warns that without a policy rethink some of the world's largest Europe-based wind technology companies, such as Vestas and Siemens, could see their prospects undermined.
"Europe is far from being number one on renewables," said Giles Dickson, chief executive of WindEurope, in a statement. "China beats us on total volume and new installations, India on policy ambition, and the US in many areas of technology, especially on grid integration.
"We still have a competitive industry that's winning orders overseas. But we will lose that competitiveness if we don't have a strong domestic market."
Policymakers should therefore support continued technology innovation both to reduce costs and support integration of higher proportions of renewables into energy systems, WindEurope said.
It also argued for policies to support the electrification of other energy sectors such as heating and transport to add new sources of demand for clean electricity and reduce emissions in these sectors.
The calls from WindEurope for EU policymakers to adopt a more ambitious 2030 renewables target echo similar calls from MEPs who argue a more demanding target is needed to help Europe stay at the forefront of global renewables development.
The report also pointed out several "megatrends" influencing how the European power market is developing, including the falling cost of renewables and the rising proportion of new capacity from renewables, accounting for 77 per cent of all new EU power installations in 2015.
However, it warned that abrupt and in some cases retroactive regulatory changes in EU countries have altered energy markets to the detriment of the wind energy, with new installations down by nine per cent in the first half of this year compared to last and declining since 2013 in some well-established wind energy markets such as Italy, Portugal and Spain.
It pointed especially to a "disordered transition" of support mechanisms from feed-in tariffs to auctions following the review of the European state aid guidelines which in some countries led to a halt in investments in wind energy.
"With all the talk about the transition to low-carbon, things should be looking good for the wind industry in Europe," said Dickson. "But they're not. Government policy on energy across Europe is less clear and ambitious than it was. Only seven out of 28 EU Member States have targets and policies in place for renewables beyond 2020. We have dysfunctional electricity markets. The transition to auctions has been less smooth than it should have been. And we're lacking long-term signals for investment."
Francesco Venturini, chief executive of Enel Green Power, said the time has come for institutions and the industry to "embrace the transition and make it work".
"The upcoming period will be pivotal if Europe is to grasp the chance to regain the lost ground, increasing renewables' share in the energy mix and moving towards a higher proportion of energy consumption from electricity due to its higher levels of sustainability and efficiency compared to other energy carriers," he said in a statement. "First-class technologies are available in Europe but to really have an impact policy must come along."
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