The EU depends on imported fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal) for about 56 % of its energy needs (gross energy consumption), which in 2021 represented an energy bill of around EUR 300 billion. The domestic production of renewable energy sources has increased significantly in recent years to 22 % of total demand. The European Union can aspire to achieve energy independence through the deployment of existing and emerging technologies, thus reducing reliance on conventional fossil fuels. What are the developments and societal implications associated with these technologies?

EPRS Science and Technology Podcast - What if the EU were energy independent?

Today, renewable hydrogen makes up a small fraction of total hydrogen production. Most hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels and, although cheaper, it causes carbon emissions. Demand for renewable hydrogen is expected to grow quickly as the need for climate-friendly solutions increases. To avoid a situation where renewable electricity used for hydrogen production is diverted away from other uses, it is important to ensure additional renewable electricity capacity for renewable hydrogen production, or ‘aditionality.’

EPRS policy podcast - EU rules for renewable hydrogen

Solar energy seems to have many advantages: it is cheap, clean and has been the fastest-growing energy source in the last decade. It can be used for electricity, heating, and help to reduce the EU’s dependency on energy imports. However, several challenges remain. Let’s see how the European Union will face these challenges and how the use of solar energy could help the Union in its green transition towards climate neutrality.

Solar energy in the EU - English

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the disruption of Russian gas supplies has led to skyrocketing electricity prices and market volatility, leading the Commission and member states to consider new policy options such as capping prices or decoupling of gas and electricity prices. In recent months, Parliament and Council have adopted an&nbsp;emergency plan for filling gas reserves.

The Commission has also launched the&nbsp;RepowerEU&nbsp;plan to reduce the&nbsp;dependency from Russia, diversify gas supplies, speed up the roll-out of renewable gases and replace gas in heating and power generation as well as&nbsp;EU-wide gas consumption reduction measures.

This can&nbsp;reduce EU demand for Russian gas by two thirds before the end of the year. The EC came with proposals how to deal with the problem during the SOTEU speech of Ursula von der Leyen.

European Union countries agreed on 30th September on series of meeasures, including energy levies on windfall profits of energy companies or binding targets to reduce electricity consumption.

Energy prices

EP Plenary session - Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7)

EP Plenary session - Commission statements - State of the Energy Union

Press conference on the revision of the renewable energy directive

EP Plenary session - Renewable energy directive

Fuel Station, renewable E85 fuel , Fit for 55..

PETI Committee - Social and environmental impacts of renewables energies

EP Plenary session - European solutions to the rise of energy prices for businesses and consumers: the role of energy efficiency and renewable energy and the need to tackle energy poverty

Plenary session week 3 2018 in Strasbourg - Debates on clean energy

The support system allowed the country's first projects to move forward: in 2010, as the country's first wind farm came online, the figure zoomed from zero to 82MW.   The Orites wind farm, which was developed by local firm K Ellinas Energy and received financial backing from London- and Paris-based independent private equity firm Platina Partners, is made up of 41, 2MW machines from Danish manufacturer Vestas and became operational in September. With Ellinas commissioning this first wind farm, it was a big step towards fulfilling targets, notes Sylvia Trabert, head of project management at Wincono Cyprus, a joint venture between local developer Ketonis and Germany's Wincono, on 30 March, 2016

Meeting - 'Renewable Energy Progress Review - A cost efficient energy transition'

Press point following ENVI Committee meeting: Biofuels; Amendment to the fuel quality directiveand the renewable energy directive

Renewable energy - Pellets production at Recybois Bio site de Latour in Virton

A digger puts corn silage to the storage place at the bio gas factory in Graden southern Germany, on March 5, 2013.

Meeting with European Commissioner in charge of Economic and Monetary Affairs about renewable energy and MFF

João FERREIRA, Claudia OLAZABAL, Véronique MATHIEU and Professeur SCHUTZ

Meeting on renewable energies :wood

French Rural Space and Planning Minister Michel Mercier visits Soprema, a society of the Pole Alsace Energivie

The BMW Hydrogen 7 car built to promote the use of renewable energy.

Presentation of a BMW Hydrogen powered car with EP President in Strasbourg

Le Prince Laurent de Belgique, Franz FISCHLER, Hans Gert POETTERING

EP President visits the Renewable Energy House.

The "Energy Cells" is a project that consists of a system of four energy storage devices (batteries) with a total capacity of 200 megawatts (MW) and 200 megawatt-hours (MWh) into Lithuania’s energy system. Energy Cells has four 50 MW and 50 MWh energy storage facilities at transformer substations in Vilnius, Šiauliai, Alytus, and Utena. It is currently the largest project in the Baltics and one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Energy Cells received 87.6 million euros from the NextGenerationEU, the Recovery and Resilience Facility under the “New Generation Lithuania” plan for the installation of the energy storage system. The total value of the project, which will provide Lithuania with the instantaneous power reserve and the possibility to operate autonomously in isolated mode, is of 109 million euros.

Infoclip: Integrated system for batteries "Energy Cells" - Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - Vilnius (Lithuania)

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. Therefore in December 2019 the Commission presented a communication on a European Green Deal that sets out a detailed vision to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, safeguard biodiversity, establish a circular economy and eliminate pollution, while boosting the competitiveness of European industry and ensuring a just transition for the regions and workers affected. This infoclip shows factories and emission of polluting gases, consequences of drought, fires and floods, wind farms and natural ecosystems.

Infoclip: Fight against climate change and Green deal

This infoclip illustrates power up - clean technologies and renewables, renovate - energy efficiency of buildings, recharge and refuel - sustainable transport and charging stations, connect - rollout of rapid broadband services, modernize - digitalization of public administration, scale up - data cloud capacities and sustainable processors, Reskill and upscale - education and training to support digital skills.

Infoclip: Recovery and Resilience facility

This Infoclip illustrates private electricity production by the means of solar panels installed on the roof, the family produces more than it consumes and has therefore a financial benefit. The clip shows several solar panel installations in the region near Leuven, Belgium.

Infoclip: Renewable energy - Private producers

This infoclip provides illustrative images of a wide range of agricultural activities in various EU member states. In northern Italy, a farm produces organic rice in a nature area and the goal is to let the nature do its job. This biodiversity brings lots of different kind of birds, plants, insect, and fishes. The farm also built an organic digester to create their own biogas used as fertilizers in the fields. In Sweden, a farm produces fertilizers and bio fuel for tractors and trucks. In Ireland, a farmer produces winter barley, wheat and oats. He uses new technologies to manage the spreading of fertilizers in his fields. In Czech Republic, a farm produces hops on about 42 hectares. In Spain, the research center Cicytex provides services of high added value to companies in the sector of Agro-Food Technology. The Community of irrigators Genil –Cabra have participated in an EU-funded Research programme on sustainable use of irrigation water in the Mediterranean region.

Infoclip: Modern Agriculture - Crops

This infoclip illustrates the circular economy topic in several sectors: the textiles, the electronic products, paper and cardboard, plastics, biomass, and car-sharing. Source: EC - Audiovisual Service (http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?sitelang=en&ref=I111232) 00:26:44 - 00:27:23: © The Associated Press - The material is offered for the purpose of providing information and/or education on the European Union until 30/11/2020. The assignment to a third part is not allowed. For any other uses contact AP - www.aparchives.com

Infoclip: Circular economy

This infoclip illustrates the use of renewable energy in Europe : photovoltaic installation on a house in Belgium, photovoltaic park in Greece, wind energy park in Belgium, production of biomass in France, biogas production site in Germany and pellet production in Belgium.

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