Grid connection delays are the "major obstacle" to the rollout of Renewable Energy projects

Renewable power generated must more than triple from 3,000GW today to more than 10,000GW in 2030 in order to meet the target to limit global temperature rises to below 2C and ideally 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, or Irena.

Matthias Taft, chief executive of BayWa RE, which has operations in more than 30 countries, says grid connection delays are now the "major obstacle" to the rollout of the renewable projects not just in Europe, but in the US and Australia among other countries.

Countries have been busy setting ambitious green energy targets. In March, the EU reached a provisional agreement to require at least 42.5 per cent of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. Then in April, the G7 group of rich countries pledged to increase offshore wind capacity by 150GW by 2030 and solar capacity to more than 1 terawatt. A global goal for renewables may be formalised at this year's UN COP28 climate summit in December in Dubai.

But underneath the noise, few politicians are talking about the grid, the infrastructure vital for achieving the ambitious targets and net zero plans.

"It is going to be boring old cables that literally trips us up on the path to decarbonisation," says Marlon Dey, head of research for the UK and Ireland at Aurora Energy Research.

"There is only one solution and that is to physically reinforce and build more grid," Dey says. "And if you can't do that quickly enough, then you can't build the renewable power we need and can't get away from fossil fuels fast enough. And then you can't decarbonise fast enough."

See the whole report on the FT here:

Gridlock: how a lack of power lines will delay the age of renewables | Financial Times

Subscribe to read | Financial Times

ft.com