EU member states and MEPs on Thursday agreed to nearly double the share of renewable energy in Europe’s energy mix by 2030, while taking into account the role of nuclear power in producing carbon-free hydrogen, an issue that was deeply divided in the 27.
The text, adopted at dawn after 15 hours of final talks, sets a binding target of 42.5% renewable energy in European consumption by the end of the decade, d ).
This target is halfway between the 45% required by the European Commission and MEPs and the 40% required by the States. This is a very significant increase on the current EU target for 2030 (32%).
To achieve this, the approved text envisages facilitating and accelerating permitting procedures for renewable energy infrastructure, with the establishment of specific areas where regulations would be relaxed.
The agreement also makes biomass (wood that is burned to produce electricity) a “100% green” source, underlined MEP Markus Pieper (EPP, right), rapporteur for the text.
However, this “bioenergy”, which is particularly defended by the Scandinavian countries, has been strongly denounced by environmental NGOs concerned about the impact on forests as carbon sinks and havens for biodiversity.
However, the use of primary forest biomass has been more strictly defined and monitored. “The use of biomass is better regulated, even if Parliament wanted to go further,” notes MEP Pascal Canfin (Renew, Liberals), Chair of Parliament’s Environment Committee.
Finally, the text offers “recognition of the special role of nuclear power, which is neither green nor fossil,” adds Mr. Canfin.
This point has been the subject of sharp disagreements among the Twenty-Seven in recent weeks, rekindling divisions between defenders and detractors of the civilian atom.
While the text sets ambitious targets for “renewable” hydrogen in transport and industry, France and its allies called for equal treatment of renewable hydrogen and “low-carbon” hydrogen produced from nuclear origin.
A red line for several countries (Germany, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain…) that have refused to promote the production of hydrogen from nuclear power, at the risk of slow, in a text on green energies Reduce investment in renewables.
Finally, the Swedish EU Presidency, which led the discussions on behalf of member states with MEPs, proposed a compromise aimed at relaxing targets for countries with significant zero-carbon electricity generation.
According to the agreement reached, the 2030 renewable hydrogen target can be reduced by 20% for Member States where the share of fossil hydrogen in the country’s hydrogen consumption is less than 23%.
“This means that France will not be obliged to build renewable energy to produce hydrogen for industry and transport, but can also use nuclear power (to meet the European target). It was an absolute condition for France to support the final deal,” Mr Canfin said.