SAPI: The Slovak Ministry of Economy should reevaluate its climate targets in the NECP
The Slovak Association of Photovoltaic Industry and Renewable Energy Sources (SAPI) calls on the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic (MH SR) to review the climate targets set out in the National Energy and Climate Plan. According to the association, the planned 23% share of RES in domestic energy consumption is not ambitious enough, as Slovakia has much greater potential. The European Commission’s recommendations even mention up to 35%.
The European Commission plans to achieve a 35% share of renewable energy sources (RES) in domestic consumption by 2030. However, Slovak strategic documents only mention 23% RES, with nuclear energy as the preferred source. Nuclear energy already dominates our energy mix, but its advantages will diminish with the ever-increasing consumption of electricity. The construction of new nuclear power plants is not only time-consuming but also financially demanding.
Relying on an increasingly expensive source will not help Slovakia, and nuclear power should not play as significant a role in strategic documents as it has done so far. We consider it a very unfortunate decision to declare a plan to build new nuclear power plants or to rely on experimental small modular reactors when we have much cheaper and truly green sources of electricity available,” warns SAPI Director Ján Karaba.
RES are undervalued in the NECP
In the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), the role of RES is significantly underestimated and does not reflect the actual development of green sources or investor interest in building new installations. This is particularly evident in the target for photovoltaics, which is currently set at 1400 MW. Given the current development trend and record growth in installed capacity in 2023, we can exceed this target in just two years.
Photovoltaics, especially in the form of rooftop installations, should be the driving force behind the development of renewable energy. It should be followed by wind farms, which, together with photovoltaics, are among the cheapest sources in terms of life cycle and do not require major financial incentives from the state for their development. Geothermal energy will require more significant support from the state, but once the source is built, it will be able to produce heat and energy practically for free.
Recommendations for the ministry
“The market is currently showing us that there are enough interested parties in the private sector who want to invest in the construction of renewable energy sources. The state’s task now is to prepare a healthy business environment and create the basic conditions that will enable the development of RES,” explains Karaba.
In this regard, SAPI has prepared a list of specific measures for the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic that should be adopted in the NECP if it wants to ensure the further development of RES. These include, for example, strengthening and modernizing the electricity grid, supporting the integration of flexibility elements, modifying and simplifying permitting processes, defining acceleration zones for RES, and supporting energy self-consumers.
“The recommended measures are nothing new; we have been drawing attention to many of the problems that the measures are intended to address for a long time. We are even obliged to implement many of them under European legislation. Implementing the proposed measures in the NECP will not only have a positive impact on the Slovak energy sector, but will also help us fulfill our commitments to the European Union,” concludes the director of SAPI.
