Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1507984
NEWS 7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 SEPTEMBER 2023 KURT SANSONE THE EU may miss its ambitious growth targets for offshore re- newable energy the European Court of Auditors warns amid fears a rapid expansion could harm marine environments. With current installed capac- ity at only 16GW, the auditors say a rapid large-scale rollout is needed for the EU to reach its ambitious targets. The EU's green plans foresee 61GW of installed offshore renewable en- ergy (ORE) capacity by 2030 and 340GW by 2050. Such a rapid increase will re- quire considerable sea space and some €800 billion, mostly from private investment, the audi- tors say in a report published on Tuesday. "These targets may be difficult to achieve," they add. But a surge in ORE brings its own 'green dilemma' because of the potential damage to marine environments and conflicts with other marine uses, the auditors warn. "While the EU strategy tries to reconcile ORE with biodiversi- ty, the European Commission has not estimated its potential environmental effects, includ- ing species displacement and changes in population structure, food availability or migratory patterns, to name but a few," the report says. "The Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the importance of the EU's ener- gy independence and our seas may be part of the solution," said Nikolaos Milionis, the ECA member who led the audit. "But the EU's blue revolution should not be pursued at all costs: off- shore renewables must not lead to any significant social or envi- ronmental damage." Offshore renewables only rare- ly co-exist with other areas of activity. In particular, conflicts with fisheries remain largely un- resolved, and opposition to ORE often re-emerges as individual projects are assessed. Similarly, EU countries sharing the same waters rarely plan common pro- jects. This results in missed oppor- tunities to use scarce sea space more efficiently. Moreover, the socio-economic implications of offshore renewables develop- ment have not been studied in sufficient depth. The auditors also note that risks to the supply of critical raw materials may slow down the rollout of offshore renewa- ble energy in Europe. Current- ly, such materials are supplied almost entirely by China, which also plays a crucial role in man- ufacturing permanent magnets for wind turbine generators. The EU's dependence may create bottlenecks, and the au- ditors raise concerns about the security of supply amid current geopolitical tensions. Lengthy national permitting procedures represent another barrier. For instance, France has one of the longest lead-times for approv- ing offshore wind installations, which can extend to 11 years. Only last month, Malta opened a public consultation on a na- tional policy for the deployment of offshore renewable energy. The policy document identi- fied six potential areas outside Malta's 12-mile territorial wa- ters for floating renewable ener- gy projects with a particular em- phasis on wind turbines. The six areas are situated in Malta's ex- clusive economic zone around the islands. After the document is final- ised, possibly sometimes next year, tenders will be issued and bidders are expected to submit a technical offer that includes mooring, installation capacity, and timeline of project deliv- erables, procurement, commis- sioning, operation and decom- missioning; and a financial offer with estimated budget and bid price. The tendering procedure would grant specific rights and obligations in EEZ designated areas for new commercial off- shore renewable project devel- opments. When unveiling the policy document, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli described it as a testament to "government's political willingness to go cli- mate-neutral by 2050". The pol- icy will give potential investors peace of mind, she had said. Offshore renewable energy can be generated by wind (bot- tom-fixed and floating), ocean (tidal and wave) and floating solar technologies. Currently, almost all offshore renewable energy in the EU is generated by wind technology. Germany has the largest offshore capac- ity of all EU countries (8.1GW at the end of 2022, mostly in the North Sea), followed by the Netherlands (3.2GW), Den- mark and Belgium (both at around 2.3GW). Malta has no offshore renewable energy ca- pacity as yet with the country's share of renewable energy com- ing primarily from land-based household and commercial so- lar panels. Almost €17 billon of EU sup- port has flowed into the blue energy sector over the last 15 years, helping the technology to be developed and deployed but evidently more investment is required for the EU to reach its targets. EU may miss 'blue energy' targets but rapid expansion could harm environment, auditors warn A rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy is needed to enable the EU to reach its ambitious targets but this should not be pursued at all costs, European Court of Auditors warns In August, Malta opened a public consultation on a national policy for the deployment of offshore renewable energy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Last Sunday, the newspa- per revealed several instanc- es across Malta were abuse reported by residents went unactioned by the authori- ties. LPOA said the situation was reflecting negatively on law-abiding cab operators who invested into adequate garage spaces to ensure compliance with the law. It is a legal obligation on every operator to ensure that every Y-plate vehicle is housed in a certified garage space when not in use, the association emphasised. "Current efforts by the reg- ulator aim to tackle a num- ber of issues, but we call for systematic enforcement in the streets in order to safeguard safety, standards as well as uphold the integrity of the indus- try," LPOA said. The lobby group said it re- mained available to the reg- ulator, all authorities and stakeholders to tackle issues of concern that are "frus- trating not only citizens but also law-abiding operators". LPOA wants the immedi- ate needs of the sector to be addressed to ensure that its members and commuters benefit from an improved and more reliable service. 'Parking abuse is reflecting negatively on law- abiding cab operators'