23 Feb ESTELA’s position on “Renewable energy – guidance on designating renewables acceleration areas”
The European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA) is a non-profit industry organization to promote the deployment of all Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) technologies in Europe, the European countries and other member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean. ESTELA gathers members from the CST industry and research institutions along its whole value chain that actively promote sustainable green energy produced by CST technologies and thermal energy storage (TES). ESTELA advocates for a sustainable energy transition, a strong EU industry leadership and a 100% renewable energy system. For more than 15 years the association has worked in close collaboration with policy makers, industry and Research & Innovation stakeholders to highlight the need for green transition and the security CST can bring to energy networks across Europe.
ESTELA welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to provide guidance on designating Renewables Acceleration Areas (RAAs), however we stress the importance of a broader scope that fully encompasses all renewable energy technologies, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive approach.
While we appreciate the focus on wind and solar technologies in the current version of the Commission’s document, ESTELA underscores the necessity of explicitly encompassing solar thermal technologies in all their forms, including:
- Concentrated solar power (CSP) for electricity generation, also referred to as solar thermal electricity (STE);
- Concentrated solar thermal systems, including large-scale installations for district heating and industrial process heat.
By ensuring that the RAA initiative embraces a truly comprehensive and inclusive approach to accelerating the deployment of all renewable energy technologies, we can contribute significantly to a more sustainable and secure energy future for Europe.
ESTELA remains committed to working collaboratively with the Commission and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the RAA initiative and accelerate the transition towards a Europe powered entirely by renewable energy.