Renewable energy transition in Europe in the context of renewable energy transition processes in the world. A review

Abstract

Both the global and European energy sectors have been undergoing a deep transition for several years, associated with a reduction in the overall share of conventional coal-based energy in favor of new technologies, especially energy from renewable sources (RES). This transition is moving from centralized production towards distributed technologies and from providing only energy to end users towards combining innovative products and services with it. Electricity consumers are becoming prosumers connected to the grid and generating an increasing amount of energy. The original goal of decision-makers was to stop global warming and improve air quality. After Russia's aggression of Ukraine in 2022, the EU transition efforts accelerated, and concerns about the climate were joined by issues related to energy security. After the painful experiences of the last several months, Europe wants to become independent from energy raw materials and their unstable suppliers as soon as possible, securing markets against price fluctuations, blackmail and unfair practices of some sellers. The aim of the article is to describe the current situation of energy and heat production from RES in selected countries in the aspect of contemporary energy transition (ET) processes. The achievement of the goal made it possible to present the European RES market in 2022, discuss the actions taken by European countries towards decarbonization and propose recommendations for the further development of the renewable energy market. The ET in Europe has been going on for over a dozen years, although there are countries, such as Norway, that use almost 100 % of renewable energy, as well as those that still largely use conventional fuels, such as Poland. In European countries, the energy mix of renewable energy, energy storage and green hydrogen should be developed. Green hydrogen produced in the electrolysis process from surplus renewable energy is an energy carrier with versatile applications both in the energy sector and in European industry.