RENewLand

Background

To meet the REPowerEU Plan’s objective to diversify the EU Member States’ energy supply and implement the EU’s revised Renewable Energy Directive, Member States must install an additional 600GW of solar capacity and more than double wind capacity to at least 480GW by 2030. As wind and solar energy production require more space than energy generated from fossil fuels, the designation of acceleration areas should be high on the public agenda. In Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, however, local, regional and national authorities, renewable technology experts and environmental organisations lack the knowledge, capacity and process facilitation skills that are essential for designating acceleration areas for renewable energy. 

Project

The project partners aim to ensure that sustainable and science-based approaches for the designation of acceleration areas are followed in the three CEE countries. They capitalise on experience and technical expertise in renewable energy spatial planning from other countries. To this end, they improve the capacities of public authorities, industry associations, civil society and academia to undertake integrated spatial planning. In addition, they develop methodologies for the sustainable siting of wind and solar acceleration areas. They provide methodologies that consider the main economic, social and environmental constraints, such as a lack of a cross-sectoral understanding of the challenges and of sound governance approaches. Project beneficiaries are provided with tools to help them avoid and mitigate conflicts relating to the designation of acceleration areas, ultimately leading to faster siting and approval of solar and wind farms in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.

Last update: April 2024