The RED II Proposal and Its Impact on the Bio-based Material and CO2 Utilization Sector: analysis
In Germany, the nova institute released an analysis of the European Commission’s proposal for the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), providing a potential outline of the Union’s renewable energy framework for the timeframe 2021 to 2030.
According to nova:
The new proposal sets the overall target of a renewables share in the EU’s energy consumption at 27% by 2030 and includes the sectors electricity, heating and cooling as well as transport. Several of the new provisions, e.g. a cap of fuels produced from food or feed crops to max. 3.8%; and the ambitious goals for advanced biofuels have been commented on and discussed by a multitude of stakeholders in press releases and official statements.1
As a whole, the proposal can be seen as an attempt to assemble a wide range of support mechanisms for a multitude of energy forms under one roof. The first-ever comprehensive inclusion of CO2-based fuels means that the available support will be spread between more forms of energy supply than before, which are less dependent on biomass. From a bio-based materials point of view, this gives some hope for improved access to biomass and a fairer competition. However, there is still a long way to go towards a completely level playing field and the optimal use of resources in Europe. Especially for feedstocks that are accepted for “advanced biofuels”, the situation has potentially worsened.
Category: Research
