Renewables

EU has enough land for sustainable renewable energy projects – study

The EU has enough land for developing renewable energy projects – study

Photo: Freepik

Published

July 26, 2024

Country

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

July 26, 2024

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

The results of an analysis of the European Environmental Bureau show that Europe has enough land for renewable energy projects without jeopardizing food production or nature protection efforts.

The conclusion of the study ‘Land for Renewables’, published by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), is that only 2.2% of the total land area will be needed for current and future solar and wind energy projects in the European Union to achieve climate neutrality by 2040.

About 5% of land in the EU is considered suitable. The analysis reveals that across the 27-member trade bloc, even when excluding agricultural land and areas crucial for biodiversity, there is still enough space for renewable energy projects.

The issue of land use became significant following the adoption of the EU’s new Renewable Energy Directive (RED3). Special zones called go-to areas are planned for the construction and repowering of renewable energy plants. Member states are obligated to designate them. Some critics, mostly from the environmental protection sector, are not satisfied with the measure. For the special areas, the permit issuance period is halved to 12 months. Opponents claim the exception undermines environmental protection standards.

The new report shows areas with diverse biodiversity and agricultural land do not have to be threatened for Europe to achieve climate neutrality.

Most of the suitable land is located in rural areas

Most of the land suitable for renewable energy projects is located in rural areas: 78% for solar plants and 83% for wind farms. The study points to a lot of degraded agricultural land that can be used for photovoltaic installations. Also, solar energy production can coexist with food production and land restoration through the installation of agrisolar plants.

Addressing the challenges and opportunities for integrating renewable sources in rural areas, the EU can achieve its climate goals while also promoting rural development and resilience, according to the study’s authors.

Italy and Germany would have to import electricity from their neighbors

When looking at individual countries, suitable land is not equally distributed. For instance, Italy and Germany would have to import electricity as they do not have enough such areas, while they are abundant in Romania and Spain, significantly above their energy needs.

Involving local communities will enable the establishment of sufficient capacity for renewable energy utilization

The analysis also relies on assumed changes in human behavior. Primarily, the reduction of air traffic by 17% and a decrease in energy demand to meet the EU’s 2040 targets.

The report took into account the resistance of residents to solar and wind farms, proposing protective zones around residential and industrial areas where renewable energy projects cannot be developed and the exclusion of protected areas that may be attractive to tourists.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

belgrade energy forum bef 2025 western balkans electricity market coupling cbam

Western Balkans power markets: hope for coupling with EU, concerns about CBAM

29 May 2025 - Representatives of TSOs, regulators and power exchanges gathered at a panel on the integration of Western Balkans markets into the EU market

Global battery storage capacity expands record 200 GWh 2024

Global battery storage capacity expands by record 200 GWh in 2024

29 May 2025 - The cost of storing electricity has dropped thanks to the declining cost of battery projects and technological advancements, Rystad says

CyberGrid is committed to energy transition in SEE with its aggregation solutions Candellari

CyberGrid is committed to energy transition in SEE with its aggregation solutions

28 May 2025 - CyberGrid's Nikolaj Candellari said at BEF 2025 that the firm believes in the energy transition in SEE, contributing to the process with its solutions

ACER Zinglersen Integrate electricity markets flexibility new era already here BEF 2025

ACER’s Zinglersen: Integrate electricity markets to bolster flexibility as new era is already here

28 May 2025 - The number of hours with negative power prices reached an all-time high for two years in a row, which means a new era is here, ACER's Director Christian Zinglersen said at BEF 2025