Brussels, 08/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - As part of its action plan for energy policy for Europe adopted last March (EUROPE 9383), the European Council agreed on the Commission proposal to elaborate a strategy for developing energy technologies (specific communication in “energy and climate package” of 10 January EUROPE 9341). The former also called on the Commission to present its plan for the European March summit 2008. On the basis of information from Community sources EUROPE can provide a first insight into the strategy the Commission will unveil on 21 November and which will be the subject of conclusions at the European Council on 3 December.
Basic principles. Reduction of non-polluting energies and the reinforcement of European companies' cutting edge position in sectors such as the low carbonic intensity sectors. Two main EU objectives in energy technologies. The Commission will propose an action plan based on a long term vision: by 2020, energy technologies are expected to allow the objective of 20% of energy produced from renewable sources thanks to a big increase in less expensive sources (wind turbines at sea and 2nd generation biofuels ); by 2030 heat and electricity should be produced from low carbon intensity soruces and from very low level fossil fuel electricity plants including CO2 (CCS) capture and stocking technology and transport is expected to by gradually adapted to the use of 2nd generation biofuels and hydrogen fuel batteries; for 2050 and beyond, conversion of the European energy system to low carbon intensity technologies should be completed and the EU energy cluster should be compsed of renewable energy sources, sustainable coal gas and hydrogen use and for ms the desire for 4th generation nuclear fission and fusion. According to the Commission, the EU will have to act fast and collectively by implementing a strategy that is sufficiently funded. The 7th Research Framework Programme includes a 50% increase in annual spending and R&D in energy for 2007-13, which will not be enough to ensure the necessary progress. The strategy therefore has to be more ambitious and aim to better coordinate spending at European and national levels and use all instruments available such as the Joint Technological Instruments and the European Institute of Technology.
Priority objectives. The European strategy aims at: improving energy efficiency of buildings, gadgets, equipment, industrial processes and transport; developing biofuels, particularly 2nd generation to produce competitive substitutes to hydrocarbons; ensure competitiveness in the short term of wind turbine parks at sea and prepare European offshore network; ensuring competitiveness of photo-voltaic electricity to exploit solar energy; using fuel and hydrogen batteries in transport and decentralised energy production; developing and supporting sustainable coal and gas technologies, particularly in the CCS area; maintaining the EU's technological superiority in 4th generation nuclear fusion and promoting security, safety of installations and good management of nuclear waste.
Questions. These sectoral objectives should be completed through specific objective stages and via an increase of R&D spending in energy over the next ten years in order to catch up with the US and Japan, which are respectively dedicating 2500 million and 3200 million Euros as opposed to the EU15's 2000 million. This increase in R1D spending should be accompanied by an improvement in quality and efficiency in development support and energy technologies. The Commission is therefore expected to call for greater coordination at a Community level to ensure optimum allocation of resources and financial support, to prevent the risk of duplication of R&D activities, better focus of national and international programmes and call for more synergies between research institutes, universities, industry and public sector and propose a common methodology to take other forms of financial help into account for new technologies (bonuses, tax incentives, feed-in-tariffs, green certifications for renewables) to facilitate comparison of statistics in R&D. The Commission is expected to underline the need to rethink how to measures R&D results in the knowledge that EU energy and climate objectives, “three 20” (20% of CO2 reductions, 20% of renewables in energy cluster and 20% energy efficiency) involve more deployment of new technologies that already exist than new research. (E.H.)