Circular Economy Strategies for the EU's Renewable Electricity Supply

Circular Economy Strategies for the EU's Renewable Electricity is a Joint Research Centre (JRC) exploratory study that provides a new perspective and new evidence on waste streams emerging from the transition to renewable electricity in the EU. The analysis supports the policy-making process and the JRC’s research on clean energy technologies implementing the European Green Deal, 2030 Climate and Energy Framework, Renewable Energy Directive, and the Waste Framework Directive. The report summarises the available information on the topic (technologies, waste streams, relevant literature and data, and technical, economic and information challenges). The clean energy technologies contain substances covered by the Critical Raw Materials Act; although the report does not focus on the permanent magnets and rare earth minerals associated with renewable energy, mostly wind turbines. Instead, the report highlights potential priority waste streams such as steel, cement and silicon. It provides a strategic assessment highlighting the rapid increase of wastes driven by the energy transition’s demand for technologies and infrastructure to replace fossil fuel infrastructures. Policy-relevant strategies to address gaps in regulation and research are highlighted. The report demonstrates that future waste volumes from solar and wind electricity generation in the EU are complex and will be generated in far greater quantities and at different rates than previously estimated. In addition, the report quantifies the waste footprint of decommissioning fossil fuel electricity plants.