During a question and answer session in Parliament’s plenary on Tuesday 14 March, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson mentioned the importance of developing renewable energy to ensure security of energy supply (see EUROPE 13138/8).
MEPs’ questions focused on the Commission’s proposal to reform the European electricity market, presented the same day (see EUROPE 13141/1), with particular emphasis on the accelerated development of renewable energy to secure Europe’s energy supply.
“Our only sustainable way to offer affordable and relatively low prices to consumers is to accelerate the use of renewable energies”, said Kadri Simson, in response to a question by Dan Nica (S&D, Romanian) on fears of a new dependence on foreign imports for the development of renewable energies, such as turbines and solar panels. The Commissioner tried to be reassuring: “This issue will be addressed (this week) with our ‘Zero Emissions Industry Act’ (see EUROPE 13135/1). We need to bring our production back to Europe”.
More specifically, questions were raised about the integration of green hydrogen to ensure security of supply. Maria Spyraki (EPP, Greek) asked for clarification on the issue of ‘additionality’, provided for in a delegated act to provide a definition of renewable hydrogen, presented by the Commission on 13 February (see EUROPE 13120/6).
Kadri Simson welcomed the certainty and predictability that this delegated act offers to the hydrogen sector and highlighted that “last year alone, the total volume of electrolyser projects before 2030 increased by 17%. This shows that the industry is increasingly confident about the chances of the European market”. She acknowledged, however, that the principle of ‘additionality’ could not bring everyone together, but said that there was “no segment of the industry that is fundamentally opposed to (this) regulatory framework”.
According to the Commissioner, the EU will need 10 million tonnes of domestically produced green hydrogen by 2030. The proposed reform of the European electricity market aims to develop renewable energies, in particular by using ‘Power Purchasing Agreements’ (PPAs) (see EUROPE 13141/1). “This should also allow hydrogen projects to develop rapidly”, she said.
The same applies to the development of other renewable energy projects, such as for solar and wind power production. “Investors will find it easier to finance their projects if they have the assurance that, for 5 or 10 years, they have fixed prices on the table. This will also enable them to provide predictable prices to end consumers”.
Ms Simson repeatedly pointed out that in order to replace the Russian gas that still resides in Europe’s energy mix, it was necessary to promote energy saving and the development of renewable energies, which saved 11 billion cubic metres of gas last year. She therefore encourages the conclusion of the trilogues on the Renewable Energy Directive (see EUROPE 13136/2). She also welcomes the measures taken to promote energy saving in the framework of the negotiations on the energy efficiency directive, concluded on 10 March (see EUROPE 13139/11). (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)