The European Commission has drawn up a 10-point plan to reduce the bloc’s dependence on Russian gas, according to a draft communication received from POLITICO.
The war in Ukraine has added urgency to the EU’s efforts to abandon imports from Russia, prompting Brussels to delay its long-awaited communication on tackling high electricity prices and turn it into a plan to improve the continent’s energy security.
The result is a proposal to achieve “a more sustainable EU energy system with measures to reduce gas consumption in the EU and reduce dependence on a single supplier,” the commission said.
As part of the recast, the Commission is considering setting mandatory gas storage levels for member states, saying that in order to prepare for next winter, the EU needs an “average storage capacity of at least 80% by September 30. ”
The EU imports most of the gas it consumes, and Russia accounted for about 45 percent of imports last year, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The draft text, due on March 8 and still subject to change, also includes several measures aimed at increasing the EU’s capacity for renewable energy, called the “New Energy Treaty”.
Brussels wants EU countries to “quickly map, assess and ensure adequate land and sea availability for renewable energy projects” and advocates the use of revenues from the EU’s carbon market, the Emissions Trading System, to fund new installations.
In June, the Commission will present a recommendation on the issuance of permits for renewable energy sources – in order to reduce bureaucracy and speed up their introduction – as well as a stand-alone solar strategy.
Solar energy on rooftops “could cover almost a quarter of the EU’s electricity consumption,” the project said. But it is noted that the block depends on the import of panels and cells and that “20-25% of the planned EU solar projects [had] be either postponed or canceled altogether in 2021 ”, mainly due to rising energy, materials and logistics costs.
The Solar Strategy will include measures to speed up installations and “help develop the solar value chain and strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and tackle dependencies”.
Brussels also wants to boost biogas by recommending 35 billion cubic meters of production across the bloc by 2030 and calls on countries to focus CAP funding on “biogas production from sustainable biomass sources”.
Along with the new measures, the Commission also says that the swift implementation of the 55 climate package, which is currently being considered by the Council and Parliament, will be crucial. The set of proposals includes plans to increase the energy efficiency of buildings and a framework for expanding the capacity of the renewable energy unit.
“Implementation of the 55 proposals will already reduce the EU’s dependence on gas by 23% by 2030,” the draft text said.
The IEA on Thursday released a 10-point plan to reduce gas imports into the EU from Russia. It recommends minimum gas storage obligations, steps to speed up the deployment of renewables and bioenergy, and more ambitious energy efficiency plans, among other measures.
America Hernandez contributed to the report.
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