E3G and Ember said in a new study that solar and wind helped to mitigate the effects of drought in the European Union, amid a 21% drop in hydroelectric production and a reduction in 19% of available nuclear capacity. Wind and solar generated a record 24% of the bloc’s electricity from March to September.

Image: Peggychoucair, Pixabay

A new study from E3G and Ember shows that solar and wind produced nearly a quarter of the European Union’s electricity between March and September 2022, up from 21% last year. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the two sources of generation have reportedly reached a record 39 TWh, up 13% year-on-year.

The study shows that the increase in solar and wind power during this period helped to mitigate the effects of drought across Europe, amid a 21% drop in hydroelectric generation and d 19% reduction in nuclear capacity.

“The record increase in wind and solar compared to last year avoided the need for 8 billion cubic meters of additional fossil gas at a cost of 11 billion euros ($10.8 billion) “, said the companies.

The figure was calculated based on the average daily EU benchmark TTF gas price for the period March to September 2022. The study assumed that solar and wind replaced expensive gas in the electricity mix.

The European Commission’s REPowerEU plan has the potential to significantly reduce Europe’s exposure to costly gas imports, according to the report.

“With tight LNG markets bearing high gas costs for the next few years, governments must support RePowerEU’s clean energy ambition, making it a central part of the response to the energy price crisis. “said Artur Patuleia, Senior Partner at E3G.

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