The European Commission wants to raise the European Union’s target for the share of renewable energy in the energy mix by 2030, according to a draft version of the forthcoming proposal for an EU directive on authorisation procedures for renewable energy projects, obtained by EUROPE, on Tuesday 10 May.
Taking the form of amendments to the Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001) currently under review, the draft plans to raise the EU’s renewable energy target to “XX%” (the rate is yet to be defined).
Accelerating permitting procedures through ‘renewables go-to areas’
The document also foresees the introduction of new features, including the concept of ‘renewables go-to areas’, with the aim of speeding up and simplifying the permitting procedures for renewable energy projects.
According to the definition provided in the draft, these would be specific locations, on land or at sea, which have been designated by a Member State as “particularly suitable for the installation of plants for the production of energy from renewable sources, other than biomass combustion plants”.
This would require Member States to identify, no later than one year after the entry into force of the directive, specific sites on land and sea suitable for the installation of renewable energy capacity, with the aim of meeting their national contribution to the EU’s 2030 renewable energy target.
They should then adopt, no later than 2 years after the entry into force of the directive, one or more plans designating ‘renewables go-to areas’ for one or more types of renewable energy sources among these locations. These plans should be based on a prior strategic environmental assessment (in accordance with the conditions set out in EU Directive 2001/42), be made public and be subject to periodic review.
For new projects in these areas, the permitting procedure should not exceed one year, the draft document says. This period is reduced to 6 months in the case of project renewals or new installations with an electrical capacity of less than 150 kW.
Since the plans used to designate these areas will already have undergone an environmental assessment, projects located in these areas will be exempted from the obligation to carry out such an assessment, the draft notes.
However, this derogation does not apply to projects “which are likely to have significant effects on the environment in another Member State or where a Member State likely to be significantly affected so requests”.
For projects outside these areas, the permitting procedure should not exceed 2 years for co-located power plants and energy storage facilities and one year for project renewals or new facilities with an electrical capacity of less than 150 kW.
However, the draft provides for an extension of these different periods by a maximum of 3 months “where duly justified on the ground of extraordinary circumstances”.
It also specifies that the competent authority will have to validate the project developer’s application no later than fourteen days after receipt of the application for projects located in ‘renewables go-to areas’ and one month for projects located outside these target areas.
Finally, for the installation of solar energy equipment in existing or future man-made structures, including rooftop solar installations, the procedure should be limited to 3 months, provided that the primary purpose of these structures is not solar energy production.
Limit the number of contact points
In addition, the Commission would like Member States to set up or designate one or more contact points to guide and facilitate the whole application and administrative permitting procedure.
According to the draft text, the applicant should not be required to contact more than one contact point for the whole procedure.
The final version of the proposed directive is expected to be presented as part of the REPowerEU plan scheduled for 18 May (tentative date).
See the draft: https://aeur.eu/f/1ks (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)