UK is struggling to meet renewable energy commitments, media report states

Britain is falling behind on its commitments to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets, while the European Union overall remains on track, according to a report by Reuters this morning.

Other nations identified by the Commission as falling behind are Luxembourg and Ireland.

Targets are set by the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED), introduced in 2009. The United Kingdom is expected to provide 30% electricity, 12% heat, and 10% transport from renewables by 2020.

A recent (September 2016) Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report argued that the UK is currently not on track to meet its overall target, and estimated that the country is less than half way towards meeting the 12% heat goal. The amount of renewable fuel in the transport fuel has been capped at 4.75%.

The full European Commission report is due to be released on Wednesday (1 February, 2017).

Commenting on the announcement, Nina Skorupska , CEO of the REA said: “This is a wake-up call to our Government, which for the past two years has introduced policy changes that have slowed deployment of renewables in the heat, transport, and power sectors.

“Our progress towards these targets to date has helped create a multibillion pound industry that in 2014 to 2015 employed nearly 117,000 in the UK.

“While it appears that UK is on track to meet our power targets, we are seriously falling behind in the heat and transport sectors. The government should take immediate steps to remove the roadblocks to further renewable energy deployment.

“The Department for Transport should accelerate the timing of the 9.75% of renewables in the fuel mix. Increasing the cap on crops in the production of biofuels, including grasses that help replenish soil health, would make this more achievable.

“In heat, the government’s recent reform of the Renewable Heat Incentive has stilted the growth of much of the biomass sector.

“Further renewable electricity deployment can help ease the burden on the heat and transport sectors. This can be quickly and cheaply done by re-allowing solar PV and onshore wind to compete in government auctions, and allowing for the further conversion of old coal stations to run on biomass is another affordable, sustainable, and rapid option.

“Maintaining renewables deployment isn’t just about meeting targets. This is about building new industry and positioning Britain as an industrial leader in the 21st Century.”

This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Biofuels International and Bioenergy Insight.