Argus reported that projections for installed biomass capacity by EU member states as part of their national action plans for 2020 is beginning to take shape, with 14 of the 27 countries' plans now submitted.
The June 30th 2010 deadline passed with a number of member states failing to meet the EU deadline and deliver national action plans outlining how they will achieve 2020 renewable targets.
The countries that failed to submit or missed the deadline are expected to come under fire from the European Commission, with legal action likely. But any decision on probably action will not be taken until the summer recess ends next month.
The 14 member states that have submitted plans so far are Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia are still finalizing plans.
The UK, Italy and Germany will have the largest installed biomass capacity.
The UK expects 4.24 GW of renewable electricity to be generated from biomass by 2020. Its plans, submitted to the European Commission a day late on July 1st 2010, forecasts biomass to be the second largest contributor to meeting its 15% renewable energy target for 2020, behind wind. The UK's total renewable capacity is estimated to reach 38.31 GW in 2020. It says financial frameworks like the renewable obligation certificates and the introduction of feed in tariffs and renewable heat incentive support will make these targets achievable.
The Italian government has forecast that domestic biomass fuelled plants could produce 21TWh of electricity by 2020, compared with an estimated 8 TWh this year. Installed capacity is seen rising to 4,650 MW from 3,865 MW. Solid biomass fuels will generate the bulk of the power, 11.5 TWh in 2020 compared with 5.1 TWh in 2010, while biomass is seen generating 9.2% of heating fuel in 2020.
The German national action plan forecasts that biomass capacity will reach 5.3 GW by 2020. The key measures of the plan will include pushing the use of biomass in the heating sector, and developing new technologies as part of Germany's high tech strategy. The plan's overall forecast exceeds Germany's official target of a 30% share of renewable power consumption, and suggests that the country could generate 38.6% of its power from renewable by 2020. Around 17% of its power consumption comes from renewable at present.
The EU has started work to make all the national plans available, but many member states are still busy finalizing lengthy documents of 120-200 pages. But the commission says it will punish any member state who fails to submit a credible plan.
Ms Lucie Tesniere policy adviser at European Renewable Energy Council said that "Infringement procedures can start from 2010 for failure to produce credible action plans. If we are not happy, member states will have to send new action plans. The new directive must be in national law throughout the EU by December 2010, and then member states must submit progress reports every two years, with the first due in December 2011."
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