This report “Land For Renewables” by The European Environmental Bureau aims to clarify these questions by making the spatial needs to achieve a 100% renewable-powered Europe tangible and comparing them to current land uses and available areas. The main takeaways:
•Renewables do not need much land: Only 2.2% of the EU’s total land will be required by current and future solar and wind projects to achieve climate neutrality by 2040, phasing out both fossil and nuclear generation in the process.
•There is enough suitable land to roll out renewables sustainably: When taking into account strict agricultural, environmental, and biodiversity constraints, along with appropriate buffer zones and technical factors, 5.2% of the EU’s land area is suitable for onshore wind and solar projects.
•Rural areas hold the highest potential for renewables: Under the JRC’s assessment criteria, most of the suitable land for renewables in the EU is located in rural areas, with 78% for ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems and 83% for onshore wind.
•Rooftops alone aren’t enough: Urban and industrial areas alone cannot host all the solar capacity needed to decarbonise Europe.
•Solidarity and interconnection: Realising a European interconnected supergrid will be essential to achieve 100% renewables, allowing solidarity and reducing energy waste.
Access the complete report here
