EU industry strategy lacks concrete renewable energy plan – German industry
Clean Energy Wire
The EU's new industrial strategy lacks clear steps to increase the supply of clean energy, German industry and renewables federations have said. "German industry finds the strategy is lacking a coherent implementation plan with a comprehensive package of measures to meet the rapidly increasing demand for safe, clean and affordable energy for climate-neutral production processes," the Federation of German Industries (BDI) said in a position paper. "The conversion to climate-neutral production processes is rapidly increasing the demand for green electricity and hydrogen at internationally competitive prices. Our companies need a large-scale European strategy for the import of renewable energy sources and the Europe-wide development of hydrogen infrastructures." The BDI welcomed EU plans for a Clean Hydrogen Alliance, but said it must be complemented with a dedicated roadmap to allow coordinated action by member states, and to specify the alliance's objectives. "It must not happen that the Clean Hydrogen Alliance turns into a purely large-scale R&D project. The focus should primarily be on the implementation of the first plants on an industrial scale and the development and financing of the necessary infrastructure."
The European Commission in March 2020 presented a strategy "to help Europe's industry lead the twin transitions towards climate neutrality and digital leadership" and to uphold Europe's industrial leadership. European industry is a global leader in many sectors representing 20 percent of the total value added of the EU and providing jobs for 35 million people in the EU, said the Commission.
The German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) also said in a statement that the EU strategy "remains too unspecific because it doesn’t clearly aim at developing and strengthening the renewable energy industry". The lobby group added that "using hydrogen in industrial processes only makes sense if an ambitious expansion of renewable energies is implemented simultaneously."
