Renewable energy prospects for the European Union: Preview for Policy Makers

<!doctype html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, viewport-fit=cover"> <title>Renewable energy prospects for the European Union: Preview for Policy Makers</title> <meta property="og:title" content="Renewable energy prospects for the European Union: Preview for Policy Makers"> <meta name="logo" href="/-/media/Examples/Irena/Images/Navigation/IRENA_logo.svg" /> <meta name="keywords" content="European Union, EU, global renewable energy deployment, policy makers, EU鈥檚 potential, renewable energy targets, IRENA, IRENA publications, energy target, " /> <meta name="description" content=" This preview for policy makers outlines the EU鈥檚 potential to meet increasingly ambitious renewable energy targets." /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.irena.org/-/media/Irena/Images/publications/2018/Feb/IRENA_REmap_EU_2018.jpg"> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.irena.org/-/media/Irena/Images/publications/2018/Feb/IRENA_REmap_EU_2018.jpg"> <link rel="manifest" href="/assets/static/site.webmanifest"> <link rel="mask-icon" href="/assets/static/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#dd082b"> <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#ffffff"> <meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff"> <meta name="msapplication-config" content="/assets/static/browserconfig.json" /> <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-PR8BPS9');</script> <link rel="preload" href="/assets/fonts/Graphik/Graphik-Light.woff2" as="font" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <link rel="preload" href="/assets/fonts/Graphik/Graphik-Semibold.woff2" as="font" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <link rel="preload" href="/assets/fonts/Graphik/Graphik-Bold.woff2" as="font" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/styles/default.css?v=37172120"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/styles/print.css?v=37172120" media="print"> <script> var IR_APP_CFG = { global: { errorMsg: 'An error occurred. 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<h2 class="Heading__text "> ENERGY TRANSITION </h2> </div> <ul class="m-Header__sublist "> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Outlook" class="m-Header__sublink" >Outlook</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Partnerships" class="m-Header__sublink" >Partnerships</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Policy" class="m-Header__sublink" >Policy</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Technology" class="m-Header__sublink" >Technology</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Socio-economic-impact" class="m-Header__sublink" title="Scio-economic impact" >Socio-economic impact</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Country-engagement" class="m-Header__sublink" >Country engagement</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Project-Facilitation" class="m-Header__sublink" >Project Facilitation</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Planning" class="m-Header__sublink" >Planning</a> </li> <li> <a href="/Energy-Transition/Innovation" class="m-Header__sublink" >Innovation</a> </li> 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","type":"publication","intType":"publication","storedDate":"2024-11-26T23:03:22.3369999+00:00","id":"627af2aad99a44fd9ff17f5ef88f2fbd","dsid":"627af2aad99a44fd9ff17f5ef88f2fbd","title":"Renewable Energy Prospects for the European Union","pgid":"627af2aad99a44fd9ff17f5ef88f2fbd","url":"https://www.irena.org/Publications/2018/Feb/Renewable-energy-prospects-for-the-EU"}"> <span class="icon icon--clipboard" aria-hidden="true"> <svg><use xlink:href="/assets/icons/sharing.svg#sharing-clipboard"></use></svg> </span> </button> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <h1 class="m-TopHeader__heading"> Renewable Energy Prospects for the European Union </h1> <div class="m-TopHeader__description"> This REmap study, prepared in co-operation with the European Commission,  identifies cost-effective renewable energy options for all EU Member States, spanning a wide range of sectors and technologies. </div> <div class="m-TopHeader__footer"> <div class="m-TopHeader__footerLeft"> <span class="m-TopHeader__isbn">ISBN: 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data-jsmodule="NewsletterSmallForm"> <div class="Heading "> <h4 class="Heading__text "> Newsletter </h4> </div> <form class="m-NewsletterSmallForm__form" action="/subscriptionform" method="post"> <input type="text" name="EmailId" class="m-NewsletterSmallForm__input" data-newslettersmallform-input="" placeholder="Enter e-mail address" aria-label="Subscribe" /> <button type="submit" class="m-NewsletterSmallForm__btn" data-newslettersmallform-submit="" disabled="">Go</button> </form> </div> <div class="m-AvailableTranslations is--expanded is--active " data-jsmodule="AvailableTranslations" data-togglecontent-init="mobile" data-togglecontent-collapse="mobile"> <div class="m-AvailableTranslations__button" data-togglecontent-button=""> <div class="Heading "> <h4 class="Heading__text "> Executive summary translations: </h4> </div> </div> <div class="m-AvailableTranslations__content" data-togglecontent-content=""> <div class="m-AvailableTranslations__inner" data-togglecontent-inner=""> <ul class="m-AvailableTranslations__list"> <li> <a href="/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2018/Feb/IRENA_REmap_EU_executive_summary_FR.pdf?la=en&hash=B2C09E8C0B7920DDBDCFBADD9126CE7DB794DB7B" class="m-AvailableTranslations__link" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >French (Français)</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="m-AvailableTranslations show-on-desktop" data-jsmodule="AvailableTranslations" > <button class="m-AvailableTranslations__button" data-togglecontent-button=""> <div class="Heading " > <h4 class="Heading__text " > Browse by theme </h4> </div> </button> <div class="m-AvailableTranslations__content" data-togglecontent-content=""> <div class="m-AvailableTranslations__inner" data-togglecontent-inner=""> <ul class="m-AvailableTranslations__list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="l-grid__m--10 "> <div class="l-grid__row"> <div class="l-grid10__m--8 l-grid10__m__offset--1 " id="m1fcc9fb2a97c4f06b8dabb226c0f8ce5">  <div class="m-RichText " data-jsmodule="RichText">  <div class="c-RichText " data-jscomponent="RichText"> <p>For more than two decades, the European Union (EU) has been at the forefront of global renewable energy deployment. The adoption of long-term targets and supporting policy measures has resulted in strong growth in renewable energy deployment across the region, from a 9% share in gross final energy consumption in 2005 to 16.7% in 2015.</p> <p>The REmap study by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), prepared in co-operation with the European Commission,  identifies cost-effective renewable energy options for all EU Member States, spanning a wide range of sectors and technologies.</p> <p><em>The Executive Summary of the report is available in<strong> </strong></em><em><a href="/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2018/Feb/IRENA_REmap-EU_2018_summary.pdf?la=en&hash=818E3BDBFC16B90E1D0317C5AA5B07C8ED27F9EF"><strong>English</strong></a> and French <a href="/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2018/Feb/IRENA_REmap_EU_executive_summary_FR.pdf?la=en&hash=B2C09E8C0B7920DDBDCFBADD9126CE7DB794DB7B"><strong>(français)</strong></a>.</em></p> <p>Key findings: </p> <ul class="liststyle"> <li>The EU could double the renewable share in its energy mix, cost effectively, from 17% in 2015 to 34% in 2030.</li> <li>All EU countries have cost-effective potential to use more renewables.</li> <li>Renewables are vital for long-term decarbonisation of the EU energy system.</li> <li>The European electricity sector can accommodate large shares of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power generation.</li> <li>Heating and cooling solutions account for more than one third of the EU’s untapped renewable energy potential.</li> <li>All renewable transport option, including both electric vehicles and biofuels, are needed to realise long-term EU decarbonisation objectives.</li> <li>Biomass will remain a key renewable energy source beyond 2030.</li> </ul> <p>Tapping the additional renewable energy potentials identified in the study would propel the EU further on a decarbonisation pathway compatible with the ‘well-below’ 2°C objective established in the Paris Agreement. The importance of both an EU-wide target and national-level commitments are critical, as is the faster deployment of renewables, feasible with today’s technology. Finally, substantial socio-economic and environmental benefits across the EU would be garnered from additional renewables deployment.</p> <p>The study forms part of IRENA’s global <a href="/remap" style="text-align: left;">REmap analysis</a>, which sets out a practical roadmap for doubling renewables in the global energy mix.</p> </div>  </div>  </div> <div class="l-grid10__m--9 l-grid10__m__offset--1 " id="m23c513bd1cac4b71aa6ce23be05a8290"> <div class="m-BoxRelatedContent m-BoxRelatedContent--bg " data-jsmodule="BoxRelatedContent" data-boxrelatedcontent-space=""> <div class="swiper-container"> <div class="Heading m-BoxRelatedContent__heading Heading--border" id="m3573d9a3dd8f4b5d9111ff76a8a94fdb"> <h2 class="Heading__text"> Additional analyses </h2> </div> <div class="swiper-navigation is--hide"> <button class="icon icon--swiper swiper-button-prev"> <svg> <use xlink:href="/assets/icons/arrows.svg#arrows-swiper"/> </svg> </button> <button class="icon icon--swiper swiper-button-next"> 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Renewable energy prospects for the European Union: Preview for Policy Makers