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Renewable Energy White Paper
Energy for the future: Renewable sources of energy |
Energy for the future: Renewable sources of energy
Introduction
This ITEM is based on the Communication from the
Commission of 26/11/97, a White Paper for a Community Strategy and Action Plan,
concerning the future of Renewable Energy in the European Union. It follows on
from a previous white paper covering all forms of energy, published in 1996,
that presented the Commission's views on how energy policy at Community level
should develop. Policy guidelines cover competitiveness, environmental
protection, security of supply, external energy relations and include the
promotion of energy efficiency and renewables. This has been endorsed by the
Member States, and as a result the Commission adopted a Council Decision
establishing a framework for cooperation between the Community and Member States
around agreed common energy objectives. In their general report of 1997, the EC
gives their Priority activities and objectives in relation to energy with an
emphasis on the three major objectives identified as having priority in its 1995
energy policy White Paper. These are:
The conclusion of the Energy White Paper describes the policy relating to renewables as follows:
"The Community will make every effort to realise the potential of renewables by supporting research projects, by stimulating cooperation in the development and the dissemination of new and competitive technologies, by introducing appropriate standards for the various equipment and by establishing a Community framework for national fiscal and other incentives in order to translate technological advances into marketable products. However, in the present energy market situation, these actions will only change substantially the contribution of renewables to security of supply, due to the size of the investments needed, if both national and Community authorities adopt policies that are able to mobilise effectively significant resources. There is a need, therefore, to exploit the opportunities offered in the Community's RTD programmes and future ALTENER 2 programme, and to focus on technologies where cost reductions can be substantial and where improvements in energy conversion devices can easily be secured by dissemination of technology in the market place and in the developing world".
It is this consideration of climate change, brought about by carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, and the possible reductions that can be brought about by use of renewable sources of energy, that forms the basis for the renewable energy white paper.
The Renewable Energy White Paper
In summary the White Paper:
defines a strategy and action plan to
promote the market penetration of renewable energy sources, with a target of
doubling their use by 2010 (from 6% of total consumption in 1996 to 12% in
2010). The measures proposed in the action plan includes the organisation of a
campaign for the take-off of renewables. The investment needed to implement the
strategy and action plan over the period is estimated at 951000 million ecu,
with benefits in savings in oil imports, technical development, job creation and
carbon dioxide avoidance.
The paper reviews the background to RE in Europe and summarises the debate arising from the previous Green Paper and then sets a series of strategic goals. These are expanded in an annex that considers the estimated contribution, sector by sector, (biomass, hydropower, wind energy, solar thermal, photovoltaics, passive solar, geothermal and heat pumps). It then considers how the overall objectives may be achieved, with estimated contributions for heat and electricity, including assessment of the costs and benefits. The plans and actions being carried out by Member States are reviewed and the share of RES in their current energy budgets estimated, as are the projected contributions and consumption of RES in the year 2010. This is accompanied by estimates of the investment costs and benefits, of the overall strategy as well as by sector.
The paper lists a number of targets, or key actions. These include the establishment of 10,000 MW of biomass installations and the integration of RE in 100 communities. To achieve this the paper outlines procedures for implementation of the objectives and monitoring of the success. A need is seen to improve coordination of programmes and policies under the responsibilities of the Community and the Member States as well as for developing a unified acceptable system of statistics based on the substitution principle.
The Commission, in the framework of the ALTENER 2 programme and in cooperation with the Statistical Office and the JRC will create a monitoring scheme which can register all Community support given to renewables as well as the action undertaken at national level and progress made in terms of renewables penetration in different sectors. A major added value of a Community Strategy is seen in the proposed integration of the promotion of RES in several policy areas. In order to ensure the effective follow-up and implementation of this aspect within the Commission, the internal coordination will be strengthened to deal with all policy aspects of renewable energy integration in the Community's policies and areas of responsibility.
A working group involving Commission and Member States representatives will be established in order to monitor the measures undertaken and evaluate the impact of energy policy decisions at all levels with regard to the use of renewable energy sources. Member States need to adopt national goals and strategies, and these will be compared alongside European wide action discussed and to be put into effect. The Member States, as part of their contribution to this process, will be asked to report to the working group the feasible contribution they can realistically make to the 2010 target, including how they intend to promote renewables sector by sector.
The Community Strategy presented above is the basic framework for action for achieving the indicative objective of 12% penetration of renewables by 2010. In order to implement the Strategy, concrete measures are proposed in an Action Plan that sets out the individual actions by categories, and indicates the form of each action. Actions are attributed to the EU, Member States or both, depending on the nature of the action and in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.
Action Plan
| ACTION PLAN | European Union | Member States |
| 1. Objectives and Strategies | ||
| Community Strategy and overall objective of 12% for the EU up to 2010 | Communication of the Commission - White Paper - (1997) | - |
| Member States setting individual objectives to 2005 and 2010 and establishing strategies | - | action |
| 2. Internal Market Measures | ||
| Fair Access for RES to the Electricity Market | Proposal for a Directive (1998) | transposition |
| Restructuring the Community Framework for the Taxation of Energy Products | Proposal for a revised Directive (COM/97/30) | transposition or harmonisation |
| Start-up subsidies for new production plants. SME's and new job creation | - | action |
| Development or/and harmonisation concerning "golden" or "green" funds | 1998 : Promotion 2000 : Communication of the Commission | action |
| Progressive increase of the market share of liquid biofuels | - | action |
| Promotion of Biofuels in transport fuel | Proposal for a Directive COM(97)248 | transposition |
| Promotion of biofuels in low-sulphur liquid fuels | Proposal for a Directive COM(97)88 | transposition |
| 3. Reinforcing Community Policies | ||
| Inclusion of Actions on Renewables in the overall strategy for combating climate change | Communication of the Commission COM(97)481 | - |
| Adoption and implementation of the 5th Framework Programme for RTD (1998-2002) | Decision of the EP and the Council (.../.../...) | - |
| RES to be included in the main priorities jointly with employment and environment in the regional fund new phase (2000-2006) | To be decided in 1999 | implementation |
| Promotion of biomass in CAP and rural development proposals for 2000-2006 | CAP proposals/Agenda 2000 - Decision awaited 1998 | - |
| Review of Reg. 2078/92 in context of Agenda 2000 Examination of adequacy of existing instruments and possibility of further harmonisation | Review of Reg. 2078/92 and other existing instruments | - |
| Definition of an energy strategy for the co-operation with ACP countries, in the Lomé Convention Framework, emphasising the role of RES | Communication | - |
| Sufficient funding from TACIS and PHARE for RES in order to implement Protocols opening EU support programmes ALTENER and SYNERGY to associated countries. Appropriate agreements with Mediterranean area countries as well as other areas. | Specific Protocols Communication | - |
| 4. Strengthening Co-operation between Member States | ||
| Strengthening co-operation between MS under Council Decision on the Organisation of Co-operation around Agreed Community Energy Objectives | Proposal for a Council Decision (COM/.../...) | implementation |
| 5. Support measures | ||
| EU programme to promote RES, open to CEECs and Cyprus, aimed at creating the necessary conditions for the implementation of the Action Plan particularly the legal, socio-economic and administrative conditions and encourage private and public investments | Proposal for a Council Decision "ALTENER 2" (COM/97/87) Proposal for Framework Programme for Energy Actions 1998-2002 | submission of projects |
| Consumer information campaigns. Targeted information action on the protection of environment with simultaneous energy recovery | EU actions | - |
| Development of European standards and certifications | CEN and CENELEC under ALTENER | certification by agreed bodies |
| Better positioning for RES on the institutional banks and commercial finance market by developing schemes facilitating investments in RES projects | agreements and projects | agreements |
| Creation of a virtual centre "AGORES" for collection and dissemination of information | action under ALTENER | data |
| 6. Campaign for take-off | ||
| 10,000 MWth of biomass installations | EU promotion and financial contribution | co-funding |
| Integration of Renewable Energies in 100 Communities | EU promotion and financial contribution | co-funding |
| 7. Follow-up | ||
| Scheme to monitor progress | EU action under ALTENER | data |
| Improvement of data collection and Statistics | Commission action | - |
| Inter-services co-ordination group | Commission action | - |
| Creation of a Working Group involving Commission and Member States | Commission action | - |
| Regular reporting to the Union's Institutions | Commission action | - |
Biomass energy
As far as agriculture and forestry is concerned, the interest lies in the growth of the biomass industry, that can be anticipated as a consequence of such initiatives. The paper suggests that combined heat and power using biomass has the greatest potential in terms of volume of any of the renewable energies. Hence, a campaign to promote and support decentralised biopower installations throughout Europe is essential. Such installations would range from a few hundred kW to tens of MW, and combine different technologies, appropriate to local conditions, including fuel switching. The total installation cost of initiating 10,000 MWth is seen as around 5 billion ECU, with a possible public expenditure of 20%, at a rate of around 80 million ecu per year spread over the period in question. The value of the biomass feedstock would amount to around 270 million ecu, if it was valued at around 100 ecu per tonne oil equivalent.
Current biomass use is estimated at around 3% of the total EU energy consumption, although in some of the countries with lower populations (and hence lower total energy demand), it is much higher (e.g. Austria 12%, Finland 23%, Sweden 18%). The projected use would raise the overall contribution to 8.5% of the projected energy consumption in 2010. The additional bioenergy (90 Mtoe) would be derived from agricultural, forest and forestry industry residues as well as waste streams from agro-industry processing plant, in addition to purpose grown biomass, or new energy crops. It is estimated that the potential availability of solid residues exceed 150 Mtoe per annum.
Liquid biofuels are regarded as the least competitive products, as a result of low oil prices and finite availability of agricultural land However, they are seen to have a roll in reducing oil dependency, with the possibility that suitable crops might be grown on about 7% of the available arable land in the EU.
Potential energy crops are seen to include Miscanthus and short rotation (coppice) willow. For the latter 27 Mtoe is seen to require around 6 million ha. Sweet sorghum is seen as producing both fibre and sugar for fermentation. The possibility of producing liquid fuel from lignocellulosic raw materials is also forseen.
As inspection of the various sectors of the NF-2000 database, or reference to the various Items covering such topics, will show - there are still many technical difficulties to overcome in some areas, whereas others are now commercial., in order to reach the projected additional bioenergy (90 Mtoe) use by 2010 that may be made up as follows:
Further information
Text of the White Paper can be obtained from the Internet:
EUROPA: The
address is ec.europa.eu
CORDIS: Can be accessed on cordis.europa.eu
For those who do not have access to this facility Commission publications and other information can be obtained from the Office for Official Publications of the European Commission (OOPEC), Luxembourg or from Commission representatives in each Member State.
Contacts
Contact
© Copyright 2006 Policy Statements
Updated
by CPL Press:
03/07/2007
- biomatnet@biomatnet.org
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