Back in November, the energy think tank Ember had sounded the alarm. Renewable energy sources are indeed accelerating worldwide, but not fast enough to triple global capacity by 2030. But what is the situation in Europe? Which countries are performing well and which need to catch up?

"The European energy system is moving quickly – says Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst Europe at Ember – especially following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which highlighted the critical vulnerabilities stemming from Europe's dependence on imported gas. The energy mix has seen solar and wind grow from a share of 34 per cent in 2019, the year the European Green Deal began, to 44 per cent in 2023, and this year it will increase further, making Europe's ambitious targets a beacon of the transition."

Solar and wind play a leading role, thanks to their complementarity. "Contrary to some common misconceptions – says Rosslowe – wind and sun are abundant in Europe. In particular, the alternation of wind power in winter and solar in summer means that periods of low output from renewable sources are rare. This is why it is crucial to increase interconnections between countries, so as to make renewables more cost-effective. Solar plays a crucial role: for two years running, it has had the highest growth rate in the European Union and in many countries it is also the cheapest source of electricity."

Italy is the entry point for Europe's energy transition

Solar and wind, together with hydrogen and energy storage, are therefore two pillars of the European energy mix and are also central to the strategy of Metlen Energy & Metals, a Greek operator with very significant expansion plans in Italy as well, through local partnerships.

"The country's unique geography, ideal for wind and photovoltaic energy, favourable legislation setting a target of 65 per cent renewables by 2030, and robust energy demand make Italy the natural entry point for our European expansion – says Aris Spiropoulos, regional managing director Italy & Eastern Europe at Metlen Energy & Metals –. We have 180 projects across 15 regions for a total of 3.7 GW of energy. We work with partners such as Statkraft and Saint-Gobain, also focusing on emerging technologies such as storage and green hydrogen production, for which we have significant projects in Sardinia, Puglia and Basilicata."

At present, Metlen's Italian portfolio includes solar projects totalling 2.3 GW. A significant contribution to the 79 GW of total solar capacity projected for Italy by 2030. Elsewhere in Europe, Metlen has development plans for a further 8.2 GW, with Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Spain and the United Kingdom at the forefront, again through a mix of photovoltaics, storage, wind and green hydrogen.

Bureaucracy and grid instability hinder the development of renewables in Europe

Against this positive backdrop, challenges nonetheless remain. "The pace of development of technologies and infrastructure is still insufficient – notes Rosslowe of Ember –. Wind has been running at around 16 GW per year since 2022, but it needs to double its rate of development between now and 2030. Europe needs greater energy storage capacity and a degree of grid flexibility to make the most of the abundant availability of solar energy, which is hampered by infrastructure shortfalls and bureaucratic delays."

Metlen echoes this. "Many renewable projects in high-potential regions such as southern Italy face grid congestion or insufficient transmission capacity from production sites to the north. These bottlenecks often slow the integration of new renewable projects. Other obstacles are bureaucratic in nature, as permitting processes can take years and hold back the rapid development of already-financed projects, even though we understand Italy's importance of ensuring that new installations do not compromise its very rich landscape and cultural heritage."

To address these challenges, Metlen also invests in energy storage systems and grid modernisation, including by promoting agreements between different nations. "We work on long-term strategies aligned with European targets, and our collaborations with industrial partners and operators, particularly in Italy, seek not only to increase renewable capacity but also to foster grid resilience, following the example of Scandinavia, which has a reliable grid and a good green energy system. For instance, one of the main projects we are involved in, the Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1), concerns the submarine interconnection off the coast of the United Kingdom, in a joint venture with GE Vernova. This infrastructure project will play a key role in the UK's decarbonisation and in the energy transition more broadly."

Even an observer such as Ember does not consider the technical difficulties to be an insurmountable barrier, as demonstrated once again by the example of the United Kingdom, which from 2025 is planning to power the grid exclusively with non-fossil sources. In Ireland, 75 per cent of energy comes from wind and solar, and the country plans to increase this share. The UK has also identified the financial instrument of the contract for difference (CfD) as a suitable solution for developing offshore wind despite the variability of wind. "The fact of mapping out a realistic pathway for exiting fossil fuels with firm timelines, as 23 European countries have already done for coal, is the most important factor in the transition, including for reassuring communities about the employment implications. The latest auctions in Belgium and the Netherlands encourage prospective developers to highlight their socio-environmental approach," concludes Rosslowe.

In short, the transition towards renewable energy in Europe has the wind in its sails, even if the journey is not entirely straightforward.