E.ON UK States New Renewable Target Very Difficult

Britain will find it very hard to hit the renewable energy target set for it by the European Commission last week, the head of giant power utility E.ON UK commented.

The Commission said on Jan. 23 Britain must get 15 percent of its total energy supply from renewables like wind and waves by 2020.  It was in the process of allocating national targets in order to meet the 20 percent overall goal agreed by environment ministers last March.

“That is going to be exceptionally challenging,” E.ON chief executive Paul Golby said after giving evidence on renewable energy to a parliamentary committee.

“Getting 15 percent of energy from renewables translates into getting 35 to 40 percent from electricity. We are nowhere near that and the obstacles getting there are formidable.”

Britain currently gets barely two percent of its energy from renewables, primarily wind power, which translates as about five percent of its electricity.  The push for more renewable energy comes as scientists say global average temperatures will rise by between 1.8 and 4.0 degrees Celsius this century due to carbon gas emissions from burning fossil fuels for power and transport.

Golby said there were a large number of obstacles in the way of Britain increasing seven-fold the contribution of renewables to the total energy mix.  “The planning system needs to be thoroughly overhauled. It is delaying projects. We have already had 18 months of delays on the London Array because of the planning process,” he stated.

The London Array in the Thames estuary will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm generating one gigawatt of electricity when it is finally built.  It was approved by the government in Dec. 2006.

www.eon-uk.com