Pan-European power grid

The European Union's targets to increase the share of renewable energy to 20% by 2020, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, pose a major challenge to the power grid throughout Europe. The existing electricity grid is mostly based on technology which was developed more than 30 years ago, for one-way energy flows from large production plants to the consumer.

Unlike the conventional power plants, which enable full control of the production of energy, the sources of renewable energy have natural variability, particularly wind and solar energy, but also hydraulic energy, which are all dependent upon weather conditions. Additionally, there is also a major paradigm shift as we move from a highly centralized network to decentralized production, where the consumption points can also inject electricity into the power grid, through micro and mini-production of electricity.

To accommodate the massive deployment of renewable and decentralized energy sources, a stronger and smarter electricity grid is required, with significant benefits deriving from the creation of a single interconnected grid throughout Europe in terms of energy security and affordably.

On the supply side, the wide geographic integration cancels-out part of the local variability of renewable energy sources and reduces the need and level of curtailment of the conventional power plants to avoid temporary surplus in electricity production. “The increase in transmission capacity and crossborder coordination of market operations will also allow sharing of reserve capacity between regions reducing total reserve requirements by approximately 40%, avoiding significant redundant investment.” (ROADMAP 2050 - Practical guide to a prosperous, low carbon Europe). On the demand-side, the demand curves are also softened.

Changes in the European electrical network infrastructure and operation are critical to the delivery of the decarbonization of the power sector and of the economy.

Considering the importance of the electricity networks to a low-carbon Europe, the Strategic Energy Technology Plan includes the European Electricity Grid Initiative (EEGI) in coordination and cooperation with other initiatives, namely photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, and wind energy.

The EEGI is based on a 9-year European research program for development and demonstration, with focus on system innovation rather than on technology innovation. It addresses the challenge of integrating new technologies under real life working conditions, including new intermittent renewable resources at the different voltage levels, recharging infrastructure for electric vehicles and active demand from end users. The initiative includes the smart grid model (functionalities necessary), transmission, distribution and the coordination of the different networks.

Besides contributing to the future coordinated planning and operation of the European Electricity Network, EEGI will also contribute to the study of new market rules.

Sources:

- ROADMAP 2050 - Practical guide to a prosperous, low carbon Europe, European Climate Foundation;

- The European Electricity Grid Initiative (EEGI) Roadmap 2010-18 and Implementation Plan 2010-12

Wind Energy Industrial Initiative for Europe

Dear Readers, I do appologize for this post's delay. I hope you will find it worthwhile.

Today's blog concerns the Wind European Industrial Initiative which integrates the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), and more specifically its 2010 – 2012 Implementation Plan. The main actions included in the Wind energy implementation plan are:

a) New turbine designs, materials and components
This implementation vector includes the establishment of a network of 5 to 10 European testing facilities, and the development of a EU's cross-industrial cooperation and demonstration programme.

b) Offshore technology
This area of intervention includes the development and testing of new structures, the automation of substructures manufacturing, and know-how intake from the oil&gas sector through the promotion of technology transfer.

c) Grid integration
Grid connection, power transmission, and secure and stable system dynamics are also major focus areas. Balancing and market operation also have a dedicated sub-programme, and potentially missing grid activities may also be considered.

d) Resource Assessment, spatial planning and social acceptance
The assessment of the Wind resource and the development of spatial planning instruments are also worthy of specific programs. The final actions address Public acceptance analysis and overarching Key Performance Indicators.

Source: 
European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). Wind European Industrial Initiative, 2010 – 2012 Implementation Plan.

Bioenergy in the European Energy Technology Plan

Today’s post highlights the Industrial Bioenergy Initiative included in the European Union’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) under the slogan “Boosting the contribution of Bioenergy to the EU climate and energy ambitions”.

The term Bioenergy is used to designate the production of heat, electricity and fuels from biological resources, including dedicated crops, agricultural and forestry residues, and municipal and industrial wastes.

“The SET-Plan Bioenergy Initiative focuses on innovative value chains which are not yet commercially available, and which could bring significant contribution to the bioenergy markets by large scale deployment (large single units or larger number of smaller units), whilst complying with the sustainability requirements of the Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC).” A specific complementary activity is also proposed to tackle the critical issue of biomass supply.

The Industrial Bioenergy Initiative will promote public-private partnerships to leverage financing and risk management of projects for the implementation of demonstration plants and of first commercial units of new value chains (flagship). The demonstration projects are expected to produce their first commercial contribution by 2015-2020.

Projects will be selected based on different criteria, including their innovative nature: at least one “technology brick” or the integration of “technology bricks” within the considered value chain should not have been deployed at demonstration or commercial scale before. The seven value chains listed below will be considered:

a) Thermochemical pathways

1: Synthetic liquid fuels and/or hydrocarbons and blending components through gasification.

2: Bio-methane and other bio-synthetic gaseous fuels through gasification.

3: High efficiency heat & power generation through thermochemical conversion

4: Intermediate bioenergy carriers through techniques such as pyrolysis and torrefaction

b) Biochemical pathways

5: Ethanol and higher alcohols from ligno-cellulosic feedstock through chemical and biological processes

6: Hydrocarbons through biological and/or chemical synthesis from biomass containing carbohydrates

7: Bioenergy carriers produced by micro-organisms (algae, bacteria) from CO2 and sunlight

c) Complementary measures and activities

8: Biomass feedstock for bioenergy

9: Set of activities on longer term R&D&D on emerging and innovative bioenergy value chains

Source: European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative, Implementation Plan 2010 – 2012, European Union, 2012.

European Energy Strategy

In 2010, the European Commission published the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), with the explicit objective of make low-carbon technologies affordable and competitive.

This instrument focuses on strengthening industrial participation in energy research and demonstration as a way to boost innovation and accelerate deployment of low-carbon energy technologies. The collective European approach helps to better tackle barriers and share risks.

The SET-Plan includes initiatives in the following research areas:

• Bioenergy – development of biofuels that comply with the EU sustainability criteria (Directive 2009/28/EC of 23 April 2009 on promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources).
• CO2 Capture, Transport and Storage – technologies to be couple with power generation and other energy intensive industries that use fossil fuels, particularly coal and gas.
• European Electricity Grid – to further integrate national networks into a pan-European network and enable the transmission and distribution of electricity from dispersed and concentrated renewable sources (up to 35 % by 2020, and make electricity production completely decarbonised by 2050).
• Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH) – development of hydrogen-supply and fuel-cell technologies for mass market introduction in 2015-2020.
• Sustainable Nuclear Initiative – intended to demonstrate the long-term sustainability of the 4^th generation nuclear reactors, based on closed fuel cycles.
• Energy Efficiency – The Smart Cities Initiative – This initiative will support regions and large cities that take pioneering measures in energy efficiency and energy production to progress towards a radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions even further than established in the EU energy and climate change policy.
• Solar Europe Initiative – focuses on photovoltaics and concentrating solar power technologies to make them more competitive and to facilitate their integration into the electricity grid.
• European Wind Initiative – aims to make wind energy more competitive, to harness the potential of offshore resources and deep waters, and to facilitate grid integration.

Also noteworthy are the creation of the SET-plan Steering Group, with representatives from the EU Member States and where Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey participate as observers, and of the European Energy Research Alliance, founded by leading European research institutes.

Source: 

The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (Set –Plan) Towards a low carbon future, European Comission, 2010