Development of Alternative (Clean) Energy Sources: The EU Experience

Abstract

The article is concerned with studying the European experience in the development of alternative (clean) energy sources, identifying problems and prospects for the production and consumption. The publication considers the advantages for countries from the use of new generation of energy carriers, including: independence from the countries – suppliers of traditional energy; ensuring ecological production and consumption; environmental protection and minimization of risk to the climate, human health, biodiversity, etc. The article provides the EU regulatory documents, namely: Directive 2018/2001/EC on alternative energy sources as part of the «Clean Energy for All Europeans» package and National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) for 2021-2030, which set out the mechanism for fulfilling new goals for 2030 as to alternative energy sources. The new directive establishes a mandatory goal for alternative energy sources for the EU for 2030 (not less than 32%), provides for measures for various sectors of the economy, as well as transport, and strengthened criteria for ensuring the sustainability of bioenergy. The transition of the EU to the use of biofuels is explained by the course of sustainable development of European countries in the sphere of energy and ecology, the status of the economy and the general ecological policy of the countries. The division into generations of biofuels is provided as follows: the first generation, or conventional fuel, is fuel from ordinary food crops grown on arable land; the second generation is biofuels made from various types of biomass; the third generation is made exclusively of algae; the fourth generation of biomass involves the use of biochemical methods for carbon capture. It is determined that the production of biofuels can give impetus to the revival of the national agrarian economy, improving the environment, enhancing the ecological safety of the country, as well as promoting the development of the country’s logistics infrastructure.