BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov.14. Europe does not plan to replace every molecule of Russian gas, said the EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson at the Opening of the EU Energy Day at COP27 November 14, Trend reports.
“We are not going to increase our gas consumption – not this winter nor later. Our trajectory towards net zero is clear. But we must acknowledge that some of this Russian gas needs to be replaced and our imports reorientated. As we are doing this, engaging with reliable suppliers around the world, like our host country Egypt, we want to have a relationship that goes beyond gas. We look to future cooperation, for example on renewable hydrogen or other clean technologies,” she said.
Simson noted that Europe’s energy system cannot become renewables-based overnight, but the process can be accelerated.
“As with energy efficiency, we are upgrading our 2030 renewables target, proposing 45 percent of renewable sources in our energy mix by then. There are already some very encouraging signs. 2022 is going to be a record year for solar energy in the EU, with 40 GW of new capacity installed. Both the North and Baltic Sea countries have very ambitious plans for offshore energy, surpassing what we envisaged in our offshore energy strategy just two years ago. Already today, 38 percent of our electricity comes from renewables, which is more than from fossil sources.”
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