SuperNode, as part of currENT – the European association of innovative grid companies – has responded to the European Commission’s consultation on the Energy Union and Climate Action. The response calls for a rapid acceleration of all five dimensions of the EU Energy Union. There is also a call to urgently address challenges in the electricity grid which have been established as a key bottleneck to achieving EU climate and energy objectives.
A revised Governance Framework must facilitate rapid progress across the dimensions of the Energy Union: security, solidarity, and trust; a fully integrated energy market; energy efficiency; decarbonization of the economy; and research, innovation, and competitiveness. By bolstering these dimensions, the EU can more effectively drive towards a decarbonised system.
Since the entry in force of the Governance Regulation in 2018, the electricity grid has emerged has a significant obstacle to the rapid expansion of renewable energy. The EU must recognise this challenge and the urgency with which it must be addressed, according to currENT.
There are innovative grid enhancing technologies available that can effectively address some of these challenges such as Dynamic Line Rating, Modular Power Flow Control Systems, New Sensor Technologies, as well as advanced conductors and superconducting cable systems. SuperNode specialises in the development of superconducting cable systems which have the capacity to move substantial amounts of power with zero electrical losses and minimal reliance on critical raw materials.
The current Governance regulation almost exclusively addresses carbon transport and energy storage for the industrial sector in the context of innovation. Annex I must become far more focused on the identification of technology gaps related to electricity infrastructure that can support the climate and energy targets. EU’s R&D programmes must also start to reflect the strategic technologies identified by the Green Deal Industrial Plan and the proposed Net Zero Industry Act, and ensure that Europe finds a way to create incentives for applying innovative grid technologies that, if applied at greater scale, would bring economic, security of supply and climate benefits.
You can find currENT’s full response here: Energy Union and Climate Action – Review Report on the Governance Regulation