Darstellung grümen Strom oder Ökostrom

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Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck met today with representatives of the wind industry, solar equipment manufacturers and grid operators to discuss the important issue of production capacities for the energy transition at the second virtual production summit. Today’s meeting follows on from a first summit on 11 April 2022 and a stakeholder process during the summer. Specifically, problems in the various sectors were described and ways to improve the production potential in Germany discussed.

Federal Minister Robert Habeck said: “If we are to attain our ambitious expansion targets for renewable energy, we will need the equipment and technology that enables us to do this in Germany and Europe. We therefore need to improve the industrial policy framework and press ahead together with the expansion of the necessary production capacity. We have agreed in the EU on the financing of REPower-EU, which is to leverage up to €300 billion for forward-looking investment. This is very important. The proposal for a European platform for transformation technologies also comes from my ministry. It aims to merge and dovetail production capacities in strategic fields of technology, including wind power, photovoltaics and electrolysis. But it’s not just a question of money: rather, we need structural reforms, and particularly the acceleration of planning and approval procedures in Germany and Europe.”

Minister Habeck went on to stress this point: “Other aspects we discussed today to incentivise investment include easier access to capital for investment in production capacities. My ministry is currently examining whether we need additional instruments for this, and what form such instruments might take. Today’s meeting considered hybrid equity instruments to finance investment in transformation. We are also looking into this. Various questions will need to be addressed, not least State aid rules.”