| dc.description.abstract | In this thesis, we have conducted a qualitative study to investigate how consequences from - and the subsequent responses to - the Russia-Ukraine conflict have impacted key areas and factors that influence the renewable energy deployment in the EU. We have contextualized the situation by firstly, providing comprehensive historical records of the energy relations between the EU and Russia, whilst also analyzing the key developments in energy policy in the EU. Secondly, by an-alyzing previous literature that investigates how distinct factors are influencing RES, we have identified key areas and factors that serve as potential bottlenecks or accelerators in the context of renewable energy deployment in the EU. Followingly, we present both direct and indirect con-sequences from the Russian invasion to prepare the reader for the subsequent policy responses from the EU and implications of the consequences on key input factors in the renewable energy industry. Lastly, we present a discussion where we juxtapose our findings with the previous liter-ature to assess how the Russia-Ukraine conflict have “pushed” or “pulled” renewable energy de-ployment in the EU. The thesis demonstrates that the key developments in energy policy, through legal frameworks and energy strategies, in the pre-invasion decade, provided a necessary fundament for the EUs ability to swiftly implement changes, strategy, and funding. Whilst highlighting that the over-arching policy trend pre-invasion was addressing the sustainability dimension of the energy tri-lemma, the invasion moved the energy policy discussion towards ‘Energy security’. The key areas we identified as bottlenecks pre-invasion were, firstly, the permitting process for RES projects, spanning from 4,5 to 9 years for solar and wind respectively in the pre-invasion period. And, secondly, the need for several grid-enhancements to stabilize, transport and store energy from intermittent RES. The key areas for acceleration were improving energy security, strengthening supply chains, and promoting energy efficiency. All of these were addressed by various policy responses from the EU, with the ‘RePower EU’ plan as an overarching policy um-brella. We see clear tendencies to solar PV deployment to have been accelerated by the invasion, whilst the situation for wind is more nuanced. However, the indirect consequences from the invasion, manifesting itself in increased input fac-tor prices and interest rates, have complicated the outlook on renewable deployment by rendering certain large-scale RES projects currently unprofitable. Furthermore, the overdependence on cer-tain countries in the supply chain raises questions regarding energy security over the long-run in
a high-RES EU – for instance, moving from Russian fossil fuel dependence to Chinese mineral dependence. | en_US |
