By Nesrine DARRAGI, Ph.D.
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30 Apr, 2020
Two days ago, on April 28, 2020, EU energy ministers said that renewable energies (solar and wind) must be at the center of post-Covid-19 stimulus packages and the development of these energy sources and investment in innovative clean energy technologies must be accelerated. According to the latest statistics and findings , the current crisis has put the energy system in Europe in general and in France in particular to the test and prove its resilience (Thanks ENEDIS, EDF, ENGIE ...) but that did not mean that there was no impact. I'm not going to talk about fossil fuels and the historic drops in the price of oil, sometimes reaching negative values which will undoubtedly affect societies public and private energy. I would rather talk about renewables where this crisis shows, on the one hand, the dependence of Europe, which wants to be the world leader in clean technologies, to other countries for the supply of raw materials and on the other hand, the fragility of the organization, the logistics and the lack of a reliable crisis strategy . This reality pushes decision-makers today to want to support European supply chains. (EU statements) Renewables are necessary to be self-sufficient in energy and to have a B Plan in crises to supply critical infrastructures and provide emergency services. A recent study shows that estimates and projections of the batteries global market, which is expected to increase from 5.7 billion USD in 2020 to 7.3 billion USD by 2021, at a CAGR of 13.7% over the forecast period, affected by the actual crisis. "Most worryingly, there is the situation of the European renewable energy industry, wind and solar in particular, where the crisis has shown the vulnerability of our supply chains,"... "a priority for all of us to respond to this and preserve Europe's global leadership in clean technologies," said Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy. In all of this, we must not also forget the Paris Agreement targets and the energy neutrality to be achieved in 2050, and of course, without the batteries, which are the key technology, it is very complicated to ensure this transition. Why? Because with batteries, there is the electrification and hybridization of thermal transportations, and there is more deployment of RE solutions and exploitation of stored green energies. The current crisis, and despite its negative impact on several sectors, can be seen as an opportunity to accelerate the transition. Initiatives like the EC's GreenDeal and associations like Transport & Environment have a considerable role in boosting large-scale innovation and supporting clean technologies. For all these reasons, the new disruptive technologies, which could offer real added value, meet global objectives and which seek a place on the market, need a regulatory and economic framework to support them and help them to progress to allow them to contribute in turn to a better, greener future.