Modelling of low carbon energy systems for 26 european countries with EnergyScopeTD : can european energy systems reach carbon neutrality independently ?

To mitigate climate change, greenhouse gas emissions from the energy systems of countries should be reduced. In this study the goal was to evaluate if and how the energy systems of European countries could fulfill their whole energy demand in 2035 with only renewable resources on their territory. For this reason, a database for 26 European countries was created. It includes for each country an estimate of the total end use demand, the maximum installable renewable capacity, hourly profiles of renewables and the renewable energy potential. Dividing the renewable energy potential by the end use demand led to the creation of a new key performance indicator that maps which countries are in a favorable position to reach carbon neutrality by themselves. The energy systems for all countries were then modelled, optimised and analysed with EnergyScopeTD. Five countries were found unable to provide their demand entirely with renewables while the other 21 can. Overall there is enough renewable potential for the whole european energy demand but cooperation will be necessary as some countries lack the potential to provide their demand.