EU Energy ministers met today in Brussels to discuss how to advance sustainable electricity infrastructure. They propose a series of measures for an interconnected and resilient electricity network in Europe.
The ministers agreed “that a fully integrated, interconnected, and synchronised European power system can only be achieved if the EU’s electricity grid infrastructure is deployed and used as effectively and efficiently as possible for exchanges of energy” and emphasised the need “for a holistic, long-term, coordinated, improved and integrated electricity grid infrastructure planning at European level, covering both a 10 year and a 20-year horizon, taking into account national and European decarbonisation targets”.
Commenting on today’s EU Energy Council meeting, Chief Public Affairs Officer of SuperNode, Christian Kjaer said:
“Europe’s power system – the largest in the world – runs incredibly well. Unfortunately, it runs on carbon. The good news is that we can electrify with wind and solar at the needed scale and pace – and at low cost. But only if we have the grid to support it and a European long-term approach to planning and constructing it – fast. EU Energy ministers today paved the way to achieve this, and the Belgian EU presidency should be commended for its determination to put electricity grids at the very top of its agenda.”
The energy ministers called on the European Commission to put forward proposals for the EU-wide approach to long-term electricity infrastructure planning with a long-term perspective, along with a grids needs assessment. SuperNode agrees with energy ministers that Europe needs an interconnected and resilient grid, and that anticipatory investments and long-term, coordinated and integrated electricity grid infrastructure planning at European level is needed to achieve it.
Christian Kjaer said:
“The grids needs assessment, demanded by energy ministers today, should include a thorough analysis of of what kind of grid we need to decarbonise and an assessment of the technologies needed to achieve it by the second half of the 2030s. How big should it be? What would the optimal circuit sizes for a carbon free system be? Once answered, it must ask if we have the appropriate technology to deliver it and provide incentives for European industry to start innovating and developing, in case we don’t. ”
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See also reactions from CurrENT – the EU association of innovative grid technology companies here
The Energy Council conclusions can be found here.
Extracts from the Council Conclusions 30 May 2024:
⚡ “HIGHLIGHTS that a fully integrated, interconnected, and synchronised European power system can only be achieved if the EU’s electricity grid infrastructure is deployed and used as effectively and efficiently as possible for exchanges of energy”
⚡ “UNDERLINES the need for a holistic, long-term, coordinated, improved and integrated electricity grid infrastructure planning at European level, covering both a 10 year and a 20- year horizon, taking into account national and European decarbonisation targets”
⚡ “UNDERLINES the need to consider anticipatory grid investments to be able to avoid bottlenecks in future connection requests for production and flexibility facilities as well as demand”
⚡ “UNDERLINES that commitment and financing for grids, including from the EU level as well as private financing, should be adequate and based on long-term planning, in line with the objective to achieve net zero emissions by 2050;”
⚡ “HIGHLIGHTS the growing challenge of network congestion both at distribution and transmission level which, in addition to grid expansion, may require an approach that ensures sufficient adequacy as well as flexibility solutions;”
CALLS ON the Commission:
⚡ “To strengthen a framework that provides a regulatory environment which meets the requirements of the agreed decarbonisation ambitions, whilst facilitating anticipatory investments;
CALLS ON the Commission:
⚡ “To further strengthen the regional approach to electricity infrastructure planning and combine it with an EU-wide approach including where appropriate with partner countries, with a long-term perspective”
CALLS ON the Commission:
⚡”To come forward with a strengthened framework to increase transparency, traceability and appropriate independent oversight for the whole transmission grid planning and development process through strengthening the current governance structure by providing for a European grid needs assessment and planning that complies with the EU climate and energy targets and meets the decarbonisation objectives; ”
⚡”INVITES the Commission to provide information about the actual investment needs in relation to electricity grids compared to the funds earmarked for them and to look for ways to increase overall investments for electricity grid infrastructure;
Contact:
Christian Kjaer, Chief Public Affairs Officer
+45 9360 2023 – christian.kjaer@supernode.energy