EU Saved EUR12 Billion Due to Wind & Solar Expansion Due to Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Ember Report

• The solar-wind expansion caused a decrease in the imports of gas requirements from Russia for power generation by 9 billion cubic meters.
• Ember report says that wind and also solar capacities will certainly continue to increase and also electricity need is likely to continue to fall over the coming months.

The conflict in between Russia and Ukraine that proceeds for a year currently has actually proved to be a 'blessing in disguise' for the European Union with regards to renewables. An analysis by Ember-- a power think tank-- has revealed that the European Union has actually conserved more than EUR 12 million with a button from Russian gas imports to the wind and solar power in the continent.

The Ukraine-Russia conflict started on February 24. From March, 2022 to January, 2023, the wind as well as solar capacity in the European Union expanded by 50 TWh. Ember mentions that this capacity has actually created regarding 23 percent of the bloc's electricity.

Ember claimed in its European Electricity Review 2023 that the expansion of the new wind and also solar installments in a year because the war began in Eastern Europe, had actually forced a decrease in the imports of gas requirements for power generation by 9 billion cubic meters. In terms of money, this would make a savings of EUR 12 billion or $12.78 billion.

Ember mentions that the EU dealt with a triple crisis situation last year. The EU was severing its ties with Russia that was supplying most of its gas requirements, the hydropower generation was weak due to the dry spell situation as well as the nuclear power was compromised as the French as well as German nuclear units were closing down.

Ember also mentioned that all credit to the renewable energy development that EU had the ability to produce power and really did not go back to coal based electricity generation.

Sarah Brown, Senior Analyst, Ember, held, "Russia's intrusion of Ukraine surprised Europe right into activity. All of a sudden, gaping susceptabilities as a result of fossil fuel dependancy ended up being a plain fact. The last year has actually been a scramble to deal with these dangers with an increased change to a cleaner, more protected power system. At the year marker of Russia's disastrous war in Ukraine, it continues to be critical that the EU rapidly increases solar as well as wind to achieve irreversible power independence."

With regards to its estimates for 2023, Ember report says that this year will be fairly the contrary as hydropower will rebound as well as French nuclear systems will return. It claimed that wind as well as solar capacities will continue to accelerate and electricity demand is likely to continue to tip over the coming months. Additionally, the demand for fossil fuels-- coal and gas-- will better drop in 2023.

In March 2022, IEA proposed a 10 factor prepare for Europe to decrease its dependence on Russian energy products and also made a strong pitch for even more renewables to help Europe lower its dependence on Russia. Most of the ideas were used up by the EU in its very own plans.