Government, Stakeholders Discuss Measures to Accelerate Development of Renewable Energy in Luxembourg

Luxembourg's Ministry of State, the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture have reported that a meeting took place at Château de Senningen on Wednesday 13 November 2024, as part of the national consultation on the development of renewable energy.

Organised under the theme "Einfach - Séier - Erneierbar" (Simple - Fast - Renewable), this consultation aims to define concrete measures to accelerate the development of wind and photovoltaic energy in Luxembourg while simplifying administrative procedures.

Announced during the State of the Nation address, this initiative is a priority for the Luxembourg government as part of its commitments to the energy transition and decarbonisation, noted the ministries.

The meeting on Wednesday brought together key stakeholders, including the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts, FEDIL, the Fédération des Artisans (federation of craftspeople), the Union of Luxembourg Cities and Municipalities (SYVICOL) and the Order of Architects and Consulting Engineers (OAI), who represent stakeholders on the ground.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden opened the discussions. He was accompanied by the Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, the Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, Martine Hansen. The government ministers reiterated the importance of mobilising all stakeholders to remove regulatory barriers and encourage the innovations needed for the rapid development of renewable energy sources. The respective ministries recalled that the integrated national energy and climate plan (PNEC) sets ambitious objectives in this area for the coming years, aiming in particular to reach 37% of renewable energy in final consumption by 2030.

The meeting was part of a national consultation process on the development of renewable energy in Luxembourg, which was initiated a few months ago. This process began with a series of interviews with key players in the energy sector as well as representatives of volunteer associations, allowing to gather various points of view and to identify the main issues.

In the coming months, this approach will continue with the creation of a working group chaired by the Ministry of the Economy and the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity. This group will be tasked with exploring and proposing concrete solutions to the major challenges related to the development of wind and photovoltaic energy in Luxembourg, with the aim of accelerating the country's energy transition. To this end, it will continue to consult the other relevant administrations and stakeholders.

The government ministries cited several areas of work, including:

- accelerating the installation of photovoltaic panels on public buildings;
- accelerating authorisation procedures through fixed deadlines;
- digitalising and simplifying procedures;
- establishing a single point of contact for renewable energy project leaders;
- reviewing the aid allocated to municipalities;
- continuing the concept of agrivoltaics (one-off adaptations);
- implementing a general authorisation through the "Tool Box permitting" aimed at authorising standard wind turbines (without distinction of particular types).

Prime Minister Frieden commented: "A successful energy transition can mean lower energy prices, increased independence and enhanced competitiveness. Luxembourg must give itself the means to achieve its ambitious renewable energy target. By involving stakeholders on the ground and municipalities, many concrete ideas aimed at reducing administrative procedure times have been identified, which the government will study in the coming weeks."

Minister Delles said: "This national consultation marks an important step in realising Luxembourg's renewable energy development ambitions. In partnership with stakeholders in the sector, the government reaffirms its commitment to rapidly developing the country's renewable energy capacities, in order to meet decarbonisation targets while strengthening national energy resilience. Our goal is to simplify procedures, to do more, faster and in more places in terms of renewable energy development."

Similarly, Minister Wilmes stated: "The development of renewable energies and the protection of our natural environment go hand in hand. We are committed to simplifying the applicable laws in this area, in particular with the aim of reducing processing times and simplifying procedures. Particular emphasis will be placed on the digitisation and digitalisation of procedures. The creation of a single point of contact within the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity will aim to coordinate the intervention of the various administrations and will speed up the decision-making process. We are entering into the upcoming discussions in an open and constructive manner, with the aim of making significant progress in the field of renewable energies, while respecting the natural environment."

Minister Hansen added: "Agrivoltaics offers interesting prospects for combining agricultural production and renewable energy production, but it must be implemented in a way that respects our main priority: agricultural productivity. Agrivoltaics is based on a clear promise: to protect our farmland and ensure its yield. Our goal is to find a balance that values ​​the land while addressing climate and energy challenges, and ensuring that our farmers' ability to produce quality food is preserved."