Law and regulationEvent
REPowerEU: a 45% renewables target by 2030, hydrogen and faster permitting. What will change for gas projects?
The REPowerEU plan of 18 May 2022 proposes raising the EU renewables target to 45% in 2030, targets for hydrogen and faster permitting procedures. For biogas this is the regulatory environment for years to come.
Other language versions: polski.
The REPowerEU plan of 18 May 2022 is not only a target for biomethane. The European Commission also proposed raising the EU target for the share of renewable energy sources in 2030 from 40% to 45%, speeding up permitting procedures and ambitious targets for renewable hydrogen. The changes are to be introduced by amending existing acts, in particular the Renewable Energy Directive, which was already being revised under the "Fit for 55" package.
What changes
The key elements of the plan are:
| Area | Commission proposal |
|---|---|
| Renewables target | 45% in 2030 instead of 40% |
| Permitting procedures | shorter deadlines, recognition of renewables as being in the public interest, designation of "go-to" areas with simplified procedures |
| Renewable hydrogen | production and import targets to 2030 and support for infrastructure |
| Biomethane | 35 billion m³ by 2030 and an action plan (separately) |
| Solar energy | a strategy and a requirement to install panels on selected buildings |
The Commission stresses that without faster procedures the targets will not be met: renewables projects often wait years for permits. It therefore proposes limiting the time for processing applications, digitalisation and increasing the resources of authorities.
Significance for the industry in Poland
Two things matter most for Polish biogas and biomethane plants. First, the strengthening of renewables targets feeds through into the national rules transposing the directive – including potential targets for renewable gases, and requirements for the heating sector and transport. Second, the permitting process itself: for biogas installations in Poland, siting and environmental procedures, and legal uncertainty around siting, are still a problem.
Faster procedures may be particularly important for small and medium agricultural installations, which often rely on decisions on development conditions rather than on local spatial plans. Raising the renewables target also increases pressure on regulators to simplify the connection of sources to the grid.
What to note during implementation
The 45% target is a value for the whole Union, and the distribution of obligations between Member States is yet to be determined. Biogas investors should watch in particular the provisions on public interest for renewables (which may make it easier to obtain siting consents), on so-called acceleration areas, and on criteria for bioenergy. These changes will not enter into force immediately: they require adoption of EU rules and then implementation into national law, which will take at least over a dozen months.
What next
The Commission's proposals will go to Parliament and the Council as part of negotiations on the Renewable Energy Directive. The Council is to present its position in June, and Parliament in the autumn. For the industry it will be important to check whether the final text includes targets for renewable gases and provisions on simplified procedures for biogas installations.
Sources
Related articles
