BRUSSELS, Belgium: Last month, EU energy ministers agreed in principle on emergency regulations aimed at speeding up the issuance of wind and solar permits while EU officials negotiate wider measures set out in the REPowerEU plan.
REPowerEU, which will be incorporated into the Renewable Energy Directive pending agreement by EU officials, is a package of measures aimed at tackling the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Growth in the wind and solar sector has been delayed by the slow pace of environmental permitting and grid connection issues.
As a result of complex administrative processes and the fact that approval authorities have limited resources, permits can take several years to issue.
The new rules could be formally approved on December 13, when energy ministers will meet to agree a comprehensive package of emergency measures, including a controversial cap on gas prices.
Meanwhile, wind industry officials stressed that since an earlier proposal to leave them out would slow Europe’s drive towards energy independence, the new measures must cover projects already awaiting approval.
Industry group WindEurope said around 80 gigawatts of wind capacity, five times the total wind capacity installed in 2021, is currently in limbo due to waiting for permits.
In an interview with Reuters, Susannah Wood, Vice President Europe Public Affairs at Norwegian developer Statkraft, said, “The emergency regulation is an important [step] to accelerate the use of renewable energy, including onshore wind.”
“The regulation provides important legislative clarity on permitting deadlines, on renewable energy and on the presumption that renewable energy projects are of ‘overriding public interest’ when balanced against other legal interests,” Wood added.
Recycling projects involve replacing existing turbines with newer, higher-capacity models. The regulation speeds up the permit deadline from one year to three months for renewing projects that increase capacity by up to 15 percent and do not need grid reinforcements.
At the same time, the timelines for major repower projects have been shortened from one year to six months.
“Improving resource assessments and physical planning procedures are key to accelerating project development processes to enable faster wind power growth in Europe,” noted Wood.