EDSO, ENTSO-E & GRID+ define with stakeholders R&D priorities for the European networks
June 15th 2012, Brussels – On 13 and 14 June 2012, ENTSO-E and EDSO for Smart Grids organised joint workshops and consulted key-stakeholders to define research and demonstration priorities for the European networks of the future.
The European Commission’s Energy Roadmap 2050 has pointed out that the EU will see a growing share of renewable energy sources connected to the power grid and a steady transition towards a complex combination of a few large centralised power plants and a great number of small and decentralised power generating facilities. This transition is already well under way in many European countries, resulting in a vast increase in connection and coordination in real time for the transmission and distribution networks. In Germany for example, more than 25GW of photovoltaic generation was connected to the grids in 2011. In addition, an innovative and robust pan-European transmission back-bone is needed to facilitate smooth power flows across the continent and the single electricity market.
Coping with this new complexity will not only imply optimisation of the use of existing networks, there is also a need for new planning tools for network development and operations as well as better scenarios defined at European level to enable investments and integration of advanced technologies all along the energy chain. Innovative technologies such as Smart Grids together with joint RD&D activities by transmission and distribution system operators and stakeholders are key solutions in order to reach the European targets to 2020 and 2050.
To make this possible, it is critical to address the regulatory frameworks and the public funding, to test solutions at their earliest stage of development to speed-up the research, development and deployment.
EDSO for Smart Grids and ENTSO-E, funding members of the European Electricity Grid Initiative (EEGI), are now reviewing the RD&D roadmap and implementation plan for transmission and distribution, defining focus and priorities for research, development and demonstration for network development in the years to come.
Hubert Lemmens, Chairman of the ENTSO-E Research and Development Committee commented: ‘As network operators, we are aware of the central role of our grids to support energy transition and we are committed to develop thepower system to meet the needs of grid users. Strong stakeholder involvement in R&D and innovation of the system is highly welcomed. Though the way to go is still very long and increased work intensity is needed to deliver on time the needed solutions’. ‘We are very pleased to see the active participation and engagement from the key stakeholders representing solar, wind, storage, power manufacturers, ICT and other energy businesses in the effort to identify the most cost-efficient research to enable the European grid operators to pave the way for greener, more efficient and sustainable energy infrastructures’, said Per-Olof Granström, Secretary General of EDSO for Smart Grids, highlighting that the smart grids are really the cornerstone in achieving the European 2020 and 2050 targets. EDSO for Smart Grids and ENTSO-E are now looking forward to launch a public consultation this autumn to reach out to an even wider audience with the result of this joint work.
