In today’s post we take a deeper look into the European Union’s Green Deal and its goal of making the Union more circular while protecting its biodiversity. 

Approved in 2020, the Green Deal is a set of policy initiatives from the European Commission aimed at making Europe climate-neutral by 2050. For that to happen, the Deal proposes measures designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by increasing energy efficiency and incorporating more renewable energy sources while promoting more sustainable transport, agriculture and forestry.

Some of the main technologies to be developed under the Deal include those harnessing renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro power. Germany has been very proactive in implementing specific measures designed to support these growth areas:

• €900 million has been allocated to the H2Global fund to award tracts of investment to hydrogen
• Offshore wind energy capacity is set to be increased from 8GW to at least 30 GW in 2030
• Installed onshore wind power to be nearly doubled to 100 GW in order to meet coalition agreement targets
• 10 terawatt hours of geothermal energy by the end of the decade achieved by opening 100+ new projects
• In solar PV, 215 GWp will be required by 2030, which means a CAGR of more than 20% in annual installation

Electric vehicles are another important technology that will be developed under the Deal. The EU has set a target of 30% of new cars being electric by 2030– a goal that will require a significant increase in production at different points of the supply chain. Infrastructure such as charging stations, for example, will also need to be built across the EU. This will require staff who can combine both technical and engineering skillsets.

Specialists in carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology that can be used to capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, steel/cement making, will also be required. It is in this space that green hydrogen is expected to play a critical role, particularly in the production of chemicals, iron, steel and other areas of heavy industry. Careers in this area may include chemical engineers, process managers, technicians and installers.

And it’s not just in the emerging technologies that skilled green technicians will be in demand: Silicon solar cells are still relatively inefficient, for example, converting less than 22.5% of the sunlight into energy (in best case scenarios). Improving their efficiency, sturdiness and recyclability are areas of employment for talented researchers, engineers and scientists. 

This is only a small snapshot of the types of green technicians that will be needed in the coming decades. It’s the role of greentech.training to prepare and support careers in these growth areas with programs and workshops designed to recruit and upskill international staff, and then support retention with long-term integration services. 

Contact us today to see how we can help you power the energy transition.