The European Union has adopted new rules that oblige Member States to include non-prize criteria, such as sustainability, resilience and project implementation at auctions of renewable energy.
The European Union has introduced new rules that oblige Member States to take criteria for sustainability and resilience in the auctions of renewable energy. These criteria relate to responsible business behavior, cyber security, timely project implementation, environmental and innovation in the integration of energy system.
The regulation Manders a minimal weighting for these criteria in purchasing processes, but makes adjustments possible where the costs would be disproportionate. It also limits auction participation and scoring based on the origin of end products and important components when more than half of the supply comes from a single third country.
For PV technologiesEnd products may not be assembled in that third country, and at least four main components, including inverters and cells, must arise elsewhere. For electrolyzers, no more than two components may come from that country and batteries are not allowed to get there. Heat pump lock products may not arise there, with only one main component allowed from that country.
The regulation will take effect on 8 July 2025 and applies to at least 30% of the auctioned volumes or 6 GW per year per Member State.
Recent EU data show that 85% of the installations come outside the European Union. Photovoltaic modules are 96%imported, inverters 62%and waffles 100%. Battery modules and cells are 59% imported, with anode active materials at 100%.
China remains the dominant supplier, accounting for 79% of the complete PV installations and 94% of the PV modules and cells in 2023. Japan supplied 1% of the entire installations, while the United Kingdom and the United States supplied small shares of inverters and waffles. For batteries, 50% of the assemblies, modules and cells from China come, with 81% of the active anodia materials that have been imported from it.
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