Repowering and lifetime extension: getting the right framework

Policy & markets

When: Thursday, 4 April 2019, 13:00 - 14:15
Where: Luxua 1

Session description

A significant share of Europe’s wind turbine fleet will come to the end of it’s projected lifetime within the next 10 to 15 years. In order to fulfill Europe’s long-term decarbonisation agenda, the share of wind energy in the energy mix needs to grow further, and this generation capacity will have to be replaced. But this process is not as straightforward as it could seem. Sites that were elected for a wind farm 20 years ago may no longer be eligible, due to changes in regulations, spatial planning rules. And while the thorny issues of permitting are being resolved, extending the life of existing assets, while often technically possible, is also running against some regulatory complications. This panel will look at the situation in different member states, identify potential bottlenecks and discuss possible solutions and best practices to avoid a contraction in wind power capacity that would put Europe’s energy transition at risk.

Learning objectives

Communicate the urgency of tackling assets coming at their end-of-life, i.e. missing on national 2030 targets if nothing is done;
Communicate the benefits of repowering and lifetime extension to governments;
Explain what regulatory framework is needed for such projects to optimise their contribution to the national energy objectives (permitting, auctions).