Brussels proposes to bet on nuclear and coal as an alternative to Russian gas

The European Commission has proposed to increase the participation of this Wednesday coal and nuclear power plants into the energy mix as part of the REPower EU package of measures, which aims to reduce Russian fossil fuel dependence by two-thirds during the current year, to eliminate imports from Moscow by the end of the decade.

“Today, we are taking our ambition to another level to ensure that we become independent of Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Community Executive, during a detailed presentation of the European plan said.

Thus, the plan presented by the community executive raises Reduce the share of gas-fired combined cycle plants in the energy mix, replacing it with the energy produced from Coalwhich would increase its share to 100 terawatt hours (tWh), 5% more than today and for energy nuclearup to 44 tWh.

This, as community sources have explained, will be a temporary measure that It is not expected to expand beyond 15 yearsHowever it deviates from the line already marked to reduce the participation of coal plants in the energy mix to achieve the objective of making the EU carbon central in 2050.

Investment of over 200,000 million

Brussels has reported that in order to implement the REPower EU plan, the EU will need Additional investment of 210,000 million euros To increase the share of renewable energy by 2027, to diversify the energy supply of suppliers in the short term and to promote energy efficiency to reduce energy dependence on Russia.

The plan, presented by the Community Executive, proposes to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the energy mix, thus increasing its participation from the 40% currently marked for 2030 to 45%, which would add up to 1,236 GW of clean energy. is transformed. Compared to 1067 for 2030 initially proposed in the Fit for 55 package.

“REPower EU will help us save more energy, accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels and start new-scale investments,” elaborated von der Leyen, who said it would accelerate the transition to clean energy.

In the longer term, the Community Executive intends that solar and wind power will produce 66% of the electricity in the system in 2050, which means doubling the rate from the current 33%. Within this framework, wind power is intended to represent 31% of the EU’s energy generation capacity and the bulk, 35%, comes from solar power.

Of the necessary financing, 1,500 to 2,000 million euros will be used to build oil pipelines in the countries of the European Union, which according to community sources are most dependent on Russian crude, and another 10,000 million euros will be used for gas and natural gas infrastructure.

The bulk will be used to promote the penetration of renewable energy, up to 113,000 million euros, of which 27,000 million euros will be invested in a commodity hydrogen infrastructure. 29,000 million euros will be invested to improve electricity distribution networks, 56,000 million in energy efficiency systems, 41,000 million to promote industry adaptation to reduce fossil fuel consumption, and to boost the production of biomethane 37,000 million euros will be invested. decade.

Brussels will introduce, in this framework, a tool for joint gas procurement at the community level, which follows the model applicable to joint procurement of vaccines during COVID, and for which it opens the door for participation from non-community countries Is. As in Ukraine, Moldova or Georgia.

With this joint purchasing platform, it intends to improve the EU’s bargaining power with suppliers and to avoid direct competition between member states, although community sources have explained that it is a tool that can be used in the electricity market. Does not guarantee reduction in gas prices.

funded by recovery plan

The chairman of the community executive elaborated in a press conference that the plan would raise an investment of 300,000 million euros, of which 75,000 would be in the form of subsidies and 225,000 through loans.

The Community Executive has opened the door to the funding needed for the Repower EU scheme through the Recovery and Resilience Plan, using loans not yet used under the scheme and estimating 225,000 million euros.

In addition, the plan will have additional financing in the form of subsidies in charge of the Emissions Rights Trade Auction to a value of €20,000 million.