Investment in renewables will create 18 000 jobs by 2020 – Economic

Investment in renewables will create 18 000 jobs by 2020 – Economic

Ana Maria Gonçalves

00:05

Deloitte predicts that investment in wind and water and solar photovoltaic should add more billion to the GDP.

The investment in renewable energy promises to re-accelerate after a slowdown in the last three years, caused by the economic and financial crisis that led to the intervention of the ‘troika’ and cutting of support to the sector. By 2020, this business area in Portugal should create close to 18 000 new jobs, an increase of 40% from 2013 called The green electricity will also contribute around EUR billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP ). More than 40% of the wealth generated in the past year.
The projections are contained in the Deloitte and study for the Portuguese Association of Renewable Energy (APREN ) , based on the objectives set by the Government and the European Union.

A consultant reveals that the sector of electricity from renewable sources was responsible in 2013 for € 2,700 million (about one sixth of GDP), of which 55% comes from operators and manufacturers, having wind energy was one that weighed more, with 1,500 million euros. The water was responsible for 910 million euros.

Considered one of the pillars of the national energy policy, focus on renewable energies will continue in the coming years, mainly focused on wind and dams, although if one perspective gradual strengthening investment in solar PV projects due to the breakdown of equipment costs.

According to the study, this strategic option will result in progressive reduction of energy dependence. In 2013, the renewables have already avoided imports amounting to EUR 1,479 million, decreasing by 12.3 percentage points to 71.7%, the share of purchases of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas to the outside. A trend that should accentuate, 2020, with Deloitte to estimate an additional reduction of 15.3 percentage points.

another focus is the environmental impact, the level of CO2 emissions avoided by replacing production from coal plants and natural gas plants. In 2013, that figure was 10.6 million tons of CO2, equivalent to one year’s emissions from domestic car park. By 2020, the study predicts that one can save, based on the increased capacity of renewable generation and predictable rise in CO2 allowances in the international market, 187 million euros.

The export of energy, other the priorities of the Executive strategy is also reflected in the analysis by Deloitte.

Portugal argues that the European Union will hardly meet with competitive rates for consumers, the climate and energy targets to which proposed for 2030 One of the solutions is the import of renewable electricity in the Iberian Peninsula, where the sun and wind are more abundant. The proposal is already in the European Commission and provides for the expansion in 2030, the electrical interconnections between the Iberian Peninsula and France, allowing to drain 25% of the existing electrical capacity. The interim target for 2020 is 12%. Today, that number does not reach 2%.

Deloitte refers that case in 2030, was able to drain 10% of the energy would be to Europe, the macro-economic impacts of this sector to Portugal would be even greater in the order of 1,080 million euros. An increase is mainly based on the increase of solar photovoltaic production. Ie, an increase of 25% compared to its baseline scenario, which was still join the creation of 21,123 more jobs and a reduction in national dependence on foreign energy to 65.1%.