Renewable energy firms plead for R&D investment

Renewable energy companies are pleading with EU governments to ring-fence money for research into alternative energy sources like wind and solar.

Ministers are expected to reach agreement next week (24 July) at the Competitiveness Council on the EU 7th framework programme for research funding (FP7).

The renewables industry however is angry that the text under consideration by ministers does not include an amendment voted through by the European Parliament last month, which would have earmarked 226 million euro a year to renewables research.

"I think a lot of governments would back this idea if they were made aware of it," said Christian Kjaer of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). "Unfortunately the Parliament vote came quite late and most of the Council agenda had been set by then."

EWEA, together with the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), the European Renewable Energy Centres Agency (EUREC) and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) now hopes a sympathetic government will raise the issue at the Council meeting before it is too late.

"After the first reading the cards have to some extent been dealt," said Isabelle Valentiny of EWEA. "There is more chance of changing minds now than later."

The renewables groups warn that, unless more EU money goes directly to research in their sector, Europe will be at a disadvantage.

Kjaer warned: "If we don't create a framework for renewables research investment in Europe, the development will move out of Europe."

"It is clear that historically the countries who have won the energy case have been those with the [traditional] resources, but not in the future. I believe that in the future the winner will be the countries that can reap the renewable resources."

The total amount foreseen for energy research under FP7 is 920m euro a year. More than half of this will go to research into nuclear energy.

Parliament voted to allocate two-thirds of the annual non-nuclear budget, or about 226m euro, to renewables and energy efficiency.

But a letter sent to MEPs from the European Commission on 12 July says earmarking money for a specific type of energy research goes against the principles of FP7.

The letter, signed by the commissioners for research, communications, energy and environment, objects to separating renewables and energy efficiency from all other energy research.

"The concept of energy efficiency runs through the whole [research] programme," the commissioners point out. Furthermore, "allocating two-thirds of the energy budget to renewables and efficiency would undermine the balance of the programme," they add.

To create a truly sustainable energy system, explains the letter, money is also needed in areas not covered by the renewables and efficiency definition. "We do not think that Europe can afford to fall further behind in a number of other key areas," say the four commissioners, "including hydrogen and fuel cells, CO2 capture and storage, and clean coal technologies."

Renewable energy companies are pleading with EU governments to ring-fence money for research into alternative energy sources like wind and solar.