6 urgent steps to save the European wind industry from collapse

ArabiaWeather - The European wind industry is awaiting a series of important measures announced on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, with the aim of supporting the achievement of renewable energy goals and avoiding the fate of the solar panel industry that has been controlled by China.

These steps include accelerating the deployment of wind projects, improving the bidding system, facilitating access to financing, creating a competitive and fair environment, and other planned measures, according to renewable energy industry sources.

On the 10th of this month, the European Union Council adopted the final version of the Renewable Energy Directive. This directive aims to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the European Union to at least 42.5% by 2030, and there is an ambition to increase this percentage to 45%.

6 urgent steps to save the European wind industry from collapse

New renewable energy targets require a significant increase in the combined capacity of wind energy. This capacity is expected to grow from 204 GW in 2022 to more than 500 GW by 2030, according to the statement published on the European Commission website. The European wind industry is a historic success story, but faces unique challenges in its future. These challenges include reduced or unsustainable demand for wind energy, complexities in obtaining permits, difficulty in accessing raw materials, increasing inflation and commodity prices, discouraging bid design, increased international competition, and concerns about the availability of skilled labor.

European wind industry rescue plan

The European Commission notes that Europe's wind industry needs urgent intervention. In the State of the Union speech delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last September, the importance of implementing the European Action Plan for the Transition to Renewable Energy in a way that combines industrial competitiveness with the continued success of the wind industry was emphasized. This transformation includes implementing specific and guaranteed projects, attracting the necessary funding, and competing at the national and international levels without any discrimination.

The European wind industry rescue plan announced today includes immediate steps by the Commission, Member States and the industry in general, building on existing policies and legislation.

Accelerate deployment by increasing predictability and accelerating project licensing

In order to accelerate diffusion, there is a need to increase predictability and facilitate the project licensing process. In 2022, 16 GW of wind installations were added, representing a 47% increase compared to the previous year in 2021. However, this figure is still below the target of 37 GW per year set by the EU renewable energy targets.

To address this issue, the Commission has launched an initiative called “Accele-RES” with the aim of facilitating faster implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive in Europe. This initiative includes an increased focus on developing methods for digitizing licensing and providing technical assistance to Member States.

Improving the bidding system

The Commission will support Member States in developing good and objective tendering criteria, which will contribute to improving tender submission processes. This will contribute to the provision of high value-added equipment and ensure that projects will be completed fully and on time.

Access to financing to save the wind industry

The European Commission is working to facilitate access to financing for European wind industry projects, and aims to promote investments and financing through the Innovation Fund and the European Investment Bank. It also encourages Member States to take advantage of the flexibility of the Temporary Framework for State Aid to support the manufacturing of wind turbine components within the EU.

Creating a fair and competitive international environment

To ensure equality, the European Commission closely monitors unfair trade practices that could benefit foreign wind energy makers. It will also continue to use trade agreements to facilitate access to foreign markets for energy products, while promoting the adoption of international and EU standards. The Commission will remain in contact with investors to identify obstacles to investment and work to solve them.

Skills needed for the wind industry

The European Commission intends to transform large-scale partnerships in the field of renewable energy into a major forum aimed at developing projects to develop the skills of workers in this sector. It is also set to facilitate the launch of academies dedicated to developing the skills of workers in Europe's carbon neutral industries, including wind energy. These academies will develop educational content and tools to train up to 100,000 people within 3 years of their establishment.

Participation of industry leaders and obligations of member states

The Commission will cooperate with Member States and wind industry companies in Europe to develop an EU Charter for the Wind Industry. This charter will aim to improve regulatory and environmental conditions to increase the competitiveness of this sector.

Source: attaqa