EU needs future power grids task force: Ember

The EU must put in place a future grid task force to bring together scattered legislation and directives, so the bloc can better implement its power grid roadmap and integrate renewable capacity, according to UK-based think-tank Ember.

Integrating intermittent renewables into the power grid adequately will require substantial upgrades to the power network across the continent. This is a political priority for the EU but responsibility is shared across a number of European governmental bodies, Ember said. Most of the 80 action points laid out in EU policy and legislation are the European Commission's responsibility, but some objectives are overseen by EU distribution system body DSO Entity, European grid operators association Entso-E, energy regulators' agency Acer, the EU's High-Level Forum on European Standardisation, and individual member states.

The policy framework is a "positive step", Ember said. But significant grid work and modernisation are needed, which would be best met through a single body that can ensure "timely and effective" delivery, according to Ember. A dedicated task force would centralise policy support and monitoring through a single channel, provide access to financing from the European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and develop a clear roadmap for all actions that are currently in the commission's remit. The need for a roadmap is significant as several of the commission's targets do not have scheduled completion dates, Ember said.

The EU must centralise funding access for member states and grid operators to ensure stakeholders can use as much of the funding available to them as possible, according to Ember. Funding is currently underutilised and spread across several financial instruments. In addition to uniting these instruments, the access mechanisms should be streamlined and administrative burdens reduced so that stakeholders of varying sizes can utilise these funds.

The EU should provide targeted funding for pilot projects on grid digitalisation, and then create a "technical toolbox" to support the digitalisation of distribution grids. The toolbox would detail best practice approaches, standardisation guidelines and interoperability technologies to ease digitalising the power network. These innovative grid technologies (IGTs) or grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) use existing infrastructure to improve renewable integration while reducing overall investment needs. IGT and GET technologies could improve renewable integration with costly network upgrades by as much as 40pc, according to a study by Latvian grid operator AST.

By Daniel Craig