Renewable energy

Offshore wind energy holds immense promise for meeting Europe’s renewable energy and climate goals. However, barriers such as stakeholder collaboration, grid infrastructure limitations, and slow permitting processes must be addressed to unlock the sector’s full potential.

Falling costs for solar, wind, and batteries are making renewables the dominant force in electricity. With speed and scale, they can deliver the emissions cuts we need – if politics doesn’t get in the way.

Technological advancements and policy reforms are paving the way for offshore wind, but are these efforts sufficient to replace fossil fuels at the pace required?

Scenario calls for a 131% increase in European power grid transmission capacity by 2035 to accomodate full phase-out of coal and fossil gas.

To boost renewable energy adoption, the European Commission has introduced new guidelines for Renewables Acceleration Areas (RAAs). However, a recent report shows many countries are unprepared for RAA designation and sensitivity mapping.

Poorer areas of the EU are exploring funding approaches such as crowdfunding and citizen-driven energy communities for the green transition.

To ensure affordable energy and limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 °C there is an urgent need to transition rapidly from a centralised energy system that heavily relies on fossil fuels. Ocean energy is one of the technologies that should be scaled up to support the transition of the energy system to reach full decarbonisation.

The world’s deepest offshore wind turbine has been installed in Scotland at a sea depth of over 58 metres. The turbine is one of 114 turbines ...

Two conflicts regarding the location of offshore wind power in Estonia and Poland, show the benefit of including a wide range of stakeholders at an early stage in the planning process.

There is no need for fossil fuels or nuclear power to stabilise our power system. Large power plants actually increase uncertainty, since the effects are so great when they fail to deliver.

The payback time for a transition to a completely renewable energy system is less than six years. Additionally, it would require only about 0.53% of the world’s land for new energy which is less than the land required for the current energy system.

A group of European offshore wind players will work with the Carbon Trust, a government industry body, to “measure and address” carbon emissions linked to construction and installation of turbines at sea.

Wind and solar produced more than 10% of global electricity in 2021, for the first time. They also surpassed nuclear, which fell below 10% for the first time in several decades. Hydro is still the top non-fossil electricity producer, but solar and wind are growing much faster.

The Swedish island of Gotland is aiming to become a fully self-sufficient sustainable energy region with its Got Heat project.

The coalition government took office nine months ago. Now they have agreed to cut CO2 emissions from the Netherlands by at least 55%-60% ...

If solar parks are managed as meadows they could provide valuable habitats for polinators.  This is an example of how renewable energy and nature conservation can work together.