Approved by the European Parliament, the new Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), It is a document that establishes a goal of 32% of energy from renewable sources in the European Union to 2030. The Commission's original proposal did not include a transport target, that was introduced by lawmakers in the final agreement: Member States shall require fuel suppliers to provide a minimum of 14% of the energy consumed in road and rail transport to 2030 as renewable energy. among other news, the Directive provides for exemption from fees and charges for small self-consumption installations (until 30 kW) and the possibility for communities to produce, store and sell excess production (LEARN- Portuguese Association of Renewable Energies).
in November of 2016, the European Commission published its initiative ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans, the package, adopted in 2019, will help to decarbonise the EU energy system, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal. On the basis of the Commission's proposals published in 2016, the package consists of 8 new laws. After the political agreement of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament (completed in May 2019) and the entry into force of the different EU rules, EU countries have 1 a 2 years to convert the new directives into national law. The new rules will bring considerable benefits to consumers, the environment and the economy.
Within this package, the Commission adopted a legislative proposal to recast the Renewable Energy Directive. In the context of the codecision procedure, a final compromise text between the EU institutions was agreed in June 2018. in december 2018, the revised renewable energy directive 2018/ 2001/ EU came into force.
In addition to the goals mentioned above, It is noteworthy that the Directive 2009/ 28/ EC specifies national renewable energy targets for 2020 for each country, taking into account your starting point and global potential for renewables. These targets range from a minimum of 10% in Malta to a maximum of 49% in Sweden.
RED II and Greenhouse Gases
RED II defines a series of sustainability and GHG emission criteria that bioliquids used in transport must meet to be accounted for in the overall target of 14% and be eligible for financial support from public authorities. Some of these criteria are the same as the original RED, while others are new or reworked. in particular, RED II introduces sustainability to forestry raw materials, as well as GHG criteria for solid and gaseous biomass fuels.
Default GHG emission values and calculation rules are provided below by RED II. The Commission may revise and update the default values for GHG emissions whenever technological developments make it necessary.. Economic operators have the option of using the default GHG intensity values provided in RED II or calculating actual values for their path.
Greenhouse gas savings limits in RED II:
- before october 2015: 50% for transport biofuels;
- after october 2015: 60% for transport biofuels;
- after january 2021 : 65% for transport biofuels, 70% for Transport of renewable fuels of non-biological origin and 70% for Electricity, heating and cooling;
- after january 2026 : 65% for transport biofuels, 70% for Transport of renewable fuels of non-biological origin and 80% for Electricity, heating and cooling.
While biofuels are important to help the EU meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets, the production of biofuels usually takes place on cultivated land that was previously used for other agricultural activities, such as growing food or feed. Since this agricultural production is still necessary, can lead to the extension of agricultural land into non-cultivable areas, possibly including areas with a high carbon stock, like forests, swamps and peat bogs. This process is known as indirect land use change. (ILUC).
Types of Biofuels
There are two distinct categories of biofuels:
conventional biofuels (first generation): biofuels produced from food crops, like sugar, starch and vegetable oils. They are produced from the earth using raw material that can also be used for food and feed..
Advanced biofuels (second and third generation): Advanced or second and third generation biofuels are produced from feedstocks that do not directly compete with food crops, such as waste in general and agricultural waste (examples: wheat straw, urban waste), non-food crops (miscanthus- grasses and short rotation coppice) and seaweed.
Within the goal of 14% for the transport, there is a target dedicated to advanced biofuels produced from the feedstocks listed in Part A of Annex IX. The contribution of advanced biofuels and biogas produced from feedstocks listed in Part A of Annex IX as part of final energy consumption in the transport sector must be at least 0,2% in 2022, at least 1% in 2025 and at least 3,5% in 2030. Feedstocks for the production of biogas for transport and advanced biofuels, whose contribution to the minimum quotas referred to in the first and fourth paragraphs of Article 25 (1) can be considered to be twice their energy content.
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