PRESS RELEASE
18 July 2024
As the process of appointing a new European Commission gets underway, COGEN Europe is calling on the EU institutions to adopt a smarter and more flexible approach to the decarbonisation of Europe’s energy system. In order to meet the EU’s ambitious emissions reduction targets for 2040 and 2050 (i.e. Net Zero emissions), it will be necessary to support decentralised energy systems that make the most efficient use of low-carbon and renewable energy sources including biogas, biomethane, biomass and clean hydrogen. In this context, cogeneration has a vital role to play as an efficient, flexible and reliable means of producing electricity and heat for use in industry and in buildings.
Responding to the latest news from Strasbourg, COGEN Europe’s Managing Director, Hans Korteweg, said: “We congratulate Ursula von der Leyen on her re-election as President of the European Commission, and we also strongly welcome her commitment to develop and implement a Clean Industrial Deal that will help to channel investments in clean technologies and support the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries.”
“Following the elections to the European Parliament in June, there is a clear political mandate for maintaining the goals of the European Green Deal in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and working towards climate neutrality by 2050, but also for implementing policies in a more flexible way that enhances Europe’s industrial leadership and economic competitiveness.”
“COGEN Europe wants to make a constructive contribution to this ongoing discussion, and today we are publishing a new document that sets out our Policy Priorities for the period up until 2029.”
“In our new publication, COGEN Europe is making the case for a more integrated, efficient, resilient and decarbonised European energy system. In particular – we want to see a more decentralised approach that combines gas, electricity and heat networks and makes the best use of clean and renewable energy sources that are available locally – from biogas and biomass to excess heat from industry. In this context, we are convinced that cogeneration will have an increasingly important role to play. Looking ahead to 2050, over 50% of all thermally generated electricity and at least 70% of non-electric heat should come from cogeneration.”
“We look forward to working with the newly elected Members of the European Parliament and with the incoming European Commission over the next five years.”
COGEN Europe’s Policy Priorities 2024-2029 are set out in the document: The Role of Cogeneration in Europe’s Energy Transition – Enabling an Efficient Pathway to Net Zero
