Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are proposing ways to step up green energy storage solutions such as hydrogen or home batteries, in a report that was adopted in one of the Parliament’s voting sessions on Friday.
The proposals outlined in the report are set to play a crucial role in reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as more efficient energy-storage options in the EU will help “spur decarbonization,” the EU Parliament says. In addition, since solar and wind have a variable electricity output, more storage solutions should become available to secure supply, MEPs say.
The EU Parliament has called on the European Commission and EU member states to remove regulatory barriers that hamper the development of energy-storage projects. MEPs say that “the Trans-European energy networks also need to be revised in order to improve eligibility criteria for those wishing to develop energy-storage facilities.” Meanwhile, they urge the Commission to continue supporting research into, and the development of, a hydrogen economy, and to implement measures that would reduce the cost of green hydrogen.
The Parliament also supports the Commission’s efforts to create European standards for batteries and reduce dependence on their production outside Europe. This could happen through “enhanced recycling schemes and by sourcing raw materials sustainably, possibly in the EU,” MEPs say.
Other storage options should be examined and developed to provide an environmentally-friendly solution to the EU’s energy-storage and -supply issue, MEPs say.
“Apart from technologies that we already know work well like pumped hydro storage, a number of technologies will play a crucial role in the future, such as new battery technologies, thermal storage, or green hydrogen. These must be given market access to ensure a constant energy supply for European citizens,” says Claudia Gamon, lead MEP.
The Commission estimates that the EU will need to be able to store six times more energy than it does today to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To reach the goals of the EU Green Deal as well as the Paris climate agreement, the European energy system will need to become carbon-neutral by the second half of this century.
By: Sotirios Frantzanas
Source: Chemical Week
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