{"id":21456,"date":"2022-05-16T13:57:28","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T12:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=21456"},"modified":"2022-05-16T13:57:28","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T12:57:28","slug":"renewable-energy-industry-carbon-graphite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/renewable-energy-industry-carbon-graphite\/21456\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the renewable energy industry requires carbon and graphite"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Corina Hebestreit, Secretary General of the European Carbon and Graphite Association, discusses the role of carbon and graphite in the renewable energy industry.<\/h2>\n

The switch to renewables for energy generation is high on the agenda and is set to accelerate, not only due to climate change but now also for geopolitical and cost reasons. Energy prices are at a record high and remain volatile. Just before the invasion of Ukraine, wholesale gas prices were already around 200% higher than the year before (February 2021) and wholesale electricity prices followed a similar pattern. High energy prices were originally fuelled by the strong global demand for gas in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, and now Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine is further perpetuating the energy crisis.<\/p>\n

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the share of renewables worldwide in 2019 was 23.2%. The electricity sector remains the main driver for renewables with a predicted strong growth of solar photovoltaics and wind in the coming years, building on the already significant contribution of hydropower.<\/p>\n

Energy policies around the globe are still unpredictable and current measures remain fragmented and vary significantly between different regions. However, European policies and, in particular, those of individual Member States, will clearly drive the increase of the use of renewables in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Overall, in 2020, renewable energy represented 22.1% of the energy consumed in the EU, around 2% above the 2020 target of 20%. Amongst the EU Member States, the share of energy from renewable sources in heating and cooling was more than half in Sweden (66.4 %), Estonia (57.9 %), Finland (57.6 %), and Latvia (57.1 %).<\/p>\n

The current EU Renewable Energy Directive, Directive 2018\/2001\/EU, aims to increase the share of renewable energy in Europe\u2019s final energy consumption to at least 32% by 2030. It provides a common set of rules to facilitate the increase of renewable energy in electricity, heating and cooling, and transport. The Commission\u2019s proposal for a revision of this directive was published in July 2021 and, in addition to increasing the renewable share in electricity generation, it is promoting the following:<\/p>\n