Скачать или смотреть Beyond the grids package: a modernised and resilient energy system

Europe’s clean energy transition is entering a critical new phase, as the European Grids Package provides the opportunity to address the bottlenecks of the clean energy transition. While oil and gas still remain the most significant energy sources for the European economy, renewable energy maintains its strong upward trajectory, accounting for almost 50% of the primary energy production in the EU. In addition, the Union is set on its track to phase out Russian fossil fuels, as a strong majority of members of the European Parliament have recently backed further energy imports bans, decreasing dependency and vulnerability in the European energy system.

With a more decentralised and decarbonised system, and new drivers of electricity demand, energy grids can no longer be treated as supporting infrastructure. Their swift development, integration and resilience are essential for energy security, competitiveness and sustainability. Indeed, Europe’s energy grid is ageing and suffering from insufficient integration and underinvestment, contributing to the great disparity in prices across the continent.

Structural weaknesses persist across the system, from permitting delays and long connection queues, under-utilisation of existing networks and insufficient cross-border interconnections, to the urgent need for long-term perspectives, digitalisation and the integration of emerging smart technologies. Addressing these bottlenecks in Europe’s grids infrastructure will require a comprehensive rethink of how our electricity networks are planned and accounting for the future development of electricity demand.

Innovative and digital technologies are a great tool to improve the capacity of the network. While investments in new capacity will be essential, estimates show that the advancement of grid technology can reduce costs by 35% compared to traditional network expansion in the next 15 years.

This moment demands political leadership, strategic clarity and bold investment. The newly released European Grids Package is more than a technical exercise, it is a crucial opportunity to improve Europe’s competitiveness, energy security and societal resilience.

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