While the co-legislators are discussing the proposal for an Energy Efficiency Directive, COGEN Europe calls on them to unleash the potential of CHP at national level

In the forthcoming negotiations on the COM (2011) 370, EU Member States shall remember that the primary energy savings potential they identified years ago is still to be realised. In the 2004 CHP Directive, which will be repealed once the Energy Efficiency Directive will enter into force, the Commission asked Member States to establish an analysis of the national potential for the application of high efficiency CHP, including high-efficiency micro-CHP1.

The data and analysis provided by the Member States show that the EU has a large unexploited economical cogeneration potential2, of:

- 655 TWh of power supply

Achieving this potential will lead to double the electricity production compared to the baseline period 2004-2009;

- 211 GWe power capacity by 2020

The aggregated declared CHP potential corresponds to an extra 110 GWe compared to the 100.2 GW EU installed CHP capacity in 2008.

Confirming those national evaluations and assessments, the deliverables of the CODE project3 also highlight that primary energy savings stemming out of the uptake of high efficient CHPs amount to 35 Mtoe, i.e. 2% of the EU27 gross inland consumption in 2008.

Nevertheless, there are still market and regulatory barriers which prevent today investors to explore the full potential of CHP and to be rewarded for the services they provide to the entire community.

The chart below illustrates the CHP growth rate increase required up to 2020 in order to achieve the potential identified by the Member States:

(see the attached document)

COGEN Europe calls on decision-makers to deliver on their promise and achieve the potential they have identified (amounting to 100% of the current CHP market). Achieving this potential will bring the very much needed primary energy savings in the energy production and transformation sectors and will be core to meeting the 2020 and 2050 energy and climate targets.

Specifically, COGEN Europe, while recognising that articles 10 and 11 are already heading in the right direction, asks the co-legislators to clarify the language around those two articles and support the proposed changes made by MEP Claude Turmes.

For more information please contact:

Dr Fiona Riddoch, Managing Director

Tel: +32 2 772 8290 Fax: + 32 2 772 5044 Email: fiona.riddoch@cogeneurope.eu

Stefan Craenen, Communication Manager Tel: +32 2 772 8290 Fax: + 32 2 772 5044

Email: stefan.craenen@cogeneurope.eu

About cogeneration:

Cogeneration (also known as CHP or Combined Heat and Power) is the simultaneous production of heat and electricity. 11% of Europe’s electricity and associated heat requirements today are produced using this proven energy efficiency principle. The estimated growth potential for cogeneration is a further 110-120 GWe which will lead to an improved environment and greater economic competitiveness in Europe.

Cogeneration units can be found in different sizes and applications: industry, households and tertiary sector and spans applications with capacities ranging from below 1kw to hundreds of Megawatts.

It is a highly efficient energy solution that delivers energy savings and substantial reductions in CO2 emissions. When seriously supported, as in Denmark, CHP has the potential to increase the energy production and transformation system overall efficiency from a bare 33% (EU average) up to 65%.

Realising the potential of cogeneration in Europe will contribute significantly to reaching the strategic climate and energy goals, such as security of supply, energy efficiency and reduction of emissions.

About COGEN Europe:

COGEN Europe is the European association for the promotion of cogeneration. We represent 75 organisations which are National COGEN Associations, manufacturers, users, utilities, service companies and consultancies. Currently around 100,000 Europeans are employed in the cogeneration sector. More info on www.cogeneurope.eu