9 October 2009 – Reports from European Union member states reveal that cogeneration is an economic option in the search for measures to close the energy efficiency gap in the 2020 energy savings target.

At a European Parliamentary event, COGEN Europe, the European association focused on the promotion of cogeneration, presented the first analysis of member states' assessment of the cogeneration potential, showing that doubling the existing cogeneration capacity is economically possible.

Experts heard how member states must give more focus to cogeneration in their efforts to achieve their energy and climate targets.

There is 97 GWe of cogeneration installed in Europe today. The member states reporting on the additional potential, a requirement under the Cogeneration Directive 2004/08/EC show that there is at least an additional 122 GWe, which is economically viable to deploy before 2020.

Cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power or CHP, is the simultaneous production of heat and electricity.

Currently, 11 per cent of Europe's electricity and heat requirements are produced using this energy efficiency technology. It can deliver a saving of up to 25 per cent on primary fuel compared to separate production of heat and electricity.

The member states reports show that in the majority of cases there is substantial opportunity to expand cogeneration. Germany's assessment, for example, shows one of the highest potentials - over 50 per cent of its current electricity could be supplied using cogeneration.

According to Fiona Riddoch, managing director of COGEN
Europe: "It is time for the European Commission to consider a cogeneration target for Europe."

The analysis was carried out as part of the Cogeneration Observatory and Dissemination Europe (CODE) project, a community co‐funded project that is independently monitoring the implementation of the Cogeneration Directive in Europe.

The full report is scheduled to be published at the end of October.