Message from the President - April 2023

On the 30th of March, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement to revise the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII), to increase the share of renewable energies in total final energy consumption in the EU to 42.5% by 2030, with the possibility of reaching up to 45%.

 

This agreement includes several area-specific targets. In the case of Transport, the possibility was created to choose two targets by 2030: a mandatory target of 14.5% reduction in the intensity of greenhouse gases in transport using renewable resources; or a mandatory target of at least 29% share of renewable energy in the sector's final energy consumption. A target of 5.5% for advanced biofuels and RFNBO's (renewable fuels of non-biological origin) was also established, and a minimum of 1% of RFNBO's in renewables used in the sector by 2030.

 

Regarding Industry, RED III points to an increase in the use of Renewables of 1.6% per year, and for 42% of the hydrogen used in industry to be used to produce RFNBO's by 2030 – and 60% by 2035. The agreement also introduces the possibility for Member States to discount the contribution of RFNBOs for industrial use by 20%, subject to certain conditions.

 

About Buildings, there will be an indicative target of a minimum of 49% for the use of energy from renewable sources in Buildings by 2030. In what comes to Heating and Cooling, the directive points to a progressive use of renewables, amounting to 0.8% per year at national level until 2026, and 1.1% per year from 2026 to 2030. In Bioenergy, the provisional agreement strengthens the sustainability criteria for the use of biomass for energy.

 

Regarding the licensing of renewable power generation centres and ways to streamline it, RED III will feature two previously announced points: the creation of areas where renewable projects will have faster and simpler licensing – the go to areas – and the fact that the installation of renewable power to be considered of public interest.

 

Although, at times, developments regarding renewables and the much-needed energy independence may seem slow, not only due to the urgency of the situation, but also in comparison with other geographies, this advance in the European Renewable Energy Directive is a good sign for the sector.

 

Not only are more advances expected at European level, but also at national level, to accelerate the installation of renewable power in Portugal. At this point, licensing continues to be one of the main obstacles, and the reinforcement of the teams of the state entities responsible for the licensing process, DGEG and the APA, are taking too much time to become a reality.

 

I had the opportunity, once again, to highlight this gap publicly, calling on the Ministry of Finance, in an interview with Público, to enforce this requirement, which is so essential for energy independence and ease budgetary restrictions so that both institutions can be prepared to contribute to the energy transition.

 

I recall that the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, recently stated that the Government estimates at least 60 billion euros of investment in the energy sector by 2030. This amount gives a good idea of ​​the growth perspective for the sector in the coming years and is not consistent with the lack of speed in licensing renewable projects.

 

As we know, one of the technologies with great development potential is Offshore Wind. For this very reason, I would like to remind you that APREN will hold an event dedicated to the subject, the Oceanic Renewables Summit, which will take place on the 24th of May in Lisbon. The event's program is already quite advanced and the participation of the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, the Minister for Infrastructure, the Presidents of WindEurope and AEE - Asociación Empresarial Eólica, the General Directors of DGEG and DGRM, among other names, has already been confirmed. You can check all the information and register for the event here.

 

Because Portugal needs our Energy!