Renewable energy company, Siemens Gamesa, has launched a white paper outlining the energy supply challenges facing Europe since the invasion of Ukraine, and the actions needed to bring about stability and energy security while addressing the climate emergency and delivering decarbonisation.
In the space of just three months in 2022, the importance and urgency of nations protecting and ensuring their energy supply increased dramatically. Geopolitical events have elevated security to the forefront of European governments’ concerns, both in terms of securing independent supply and securing predictable prices for the consumer.
The paper, ‘ Unlocking European Energy Security‘, states that in the years up to the EU’s 2050 deadline for climate neutrality, renewable energy and green hydrogen will be of pivotal importance. In delivering energy security with clean, affordable, and domestically produced clean energy and fuels, large-scale decarbonisation is possible simultaneously. Through the conversion of hard-to-abate industries to this green fuel, nations can hit the targets necessary to achieve net-zero.
Governments investing in domestically-produced green hydrogen production will deliver energy security, plus stability of price to consumers. Industries that are difficult or impossible to electrify, but that seek to stay viable, can decarbonise through timely investment and collaboration in green hydrogen.
However, a drastic increase in the amount of energy production through renewables is necessary to achieve energy security and meet climate goals.
The importance of tackling both issues of energy security and decarbonisation together is highlighted by Siemens Gamesa global CEO Jochen Eickholt: “The current crisis should not be allowed to push the climate emergency down the agenda. It is imperative that the entire renewable energy ecosystem is aligned on the need to reduce the demand for fossil fuels. For green hydrogen to reach scale and, thus, competitiveness, it too needs a seismic shift in the scale and speed of renewables roll-out.”
Juan Gutierrez, global CEO of Siemens Gamesa’s Service business, added: “Siemens Gamesa calls upon European governments and the relevant industries to work together in coalition to deliver energy security through renewables and green hydrogen, environment security through essential decarbonisation and security of stable pricing of energy to end consumers. The terrible events of the invasion of Ukraine have laid bare uncomfortable truths about the vulnerability of each of these elements, but it is within nation states’ power to address each of these through a united approach to increase renewables installations and the adoption of green hydrogen.”
