FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
BRUSSELS – The European Commission has presented a large package of proposals that must serve to eliminate the delicate and controversial energy dependence of the European Union on Russia. The REPowerEU strategy is based on energy saving, diversification in supply, and an acceleration of the green transition. On a completely different front, defense, Brussels has always presented new initiatives today to promote European industry.
The desire is to structurally transform the European energy system, while addressing two parallel challenges: energy dependence and the climate transition. According to information gathered in Brussels, the planned investments amount to around 210 billion euros. The money will come, among others, from various European spending chapters and from a reform of the harmful emissions trading market (ETS). Each country will have to include a dedicated chapter in its recovery plan.
“In the new REPowerEU plan, we have decided to double our target for 2030 and to produce 10 million tons of renewable hydrogen in the European Union every year – explained the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen yesterday in Warsaw -. In addition, we will import another 10 million tons from abroad. In this way, we will be able to replace up to 50 billion cubic meters per year of imported Russian gas ».
Mrs von der Leyen therefore announced a package of regulatory measures with which to promote the production of green hydrogen (produced without the intervention of fossil sources). “In addition to € 9.3 billion in funding from the NextGenerationEU, we will give priority to new initiatives, including those supported with state aid. By the summer we want to approve projects of common interest dedicated to hydrogen with which to promote industrial investments for 50 billion euros “.
The Commission intends to propose an increase in the share of electricity produced from renewable sources from 40 to 45% by 2030 (today the share is 22%). The installations of photovoltaic panels are expected to more than double in terms of capacity to reach 600 gigawatts by 2030. To facilitate the process of authorizing the plants, Brussels intends to propose to select, together with the member countries, specific geographical areas intended for wind and photovoltaic.