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05 January 2011

EU to breeze past renewable energy target

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Increases in wind power mean by 2020 renewable sources will account for more than a fifth of Europe's energy

The EU looks set to exceed its mandated target of generating 20 per cent of total energy from renewable sources by 2020.

A report published yesterday by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) based on member countries' predictions suggests 20.7 per cent of the EU's energy demand will be supplied from renewable sources by the end of the decade.

Only two of the 27 countries, Luxembourg and Italy, are set to fall short of their EU-mandated targets for renewable energy. Meanwhile 15 countries, led by Bulgaria, Spain and Greece, are expecting surpluses – up from the 13 countries predicted by the EWEA in February.

A 1.2 per cent increase in Sweden's predicted levels means that by 2020, just over half of all its energy will be sourced from renewables, while Latvia and Finland should be producing 40 per cent and 38 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, the UK is expected to meet, but not exceed, its 15 per cent renewable energy target, although the country's high levels of demand mean it will actually produce more renewable energy than any country in Europe bar Germany, Spain and France.

(BusinessGreen)

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